Hepatocyte growth factor protease domain variants

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) variants that compise an amino acid alteration at a site within the protease domain of HGF and retaining substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding wild-type HGF.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns amino acid sequence variants of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), methods and means for preparing such variants, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.

II. Description of Background and Related Art

HGF was identified initially as a mitogen for hepatocytes [Michalopoulos et al., Cancer Res. 44, 4414-4419 (1984); Russel et al., J. Cell. Physiol. 119, 183-192 (1984) and Nakamura et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 122: 1450-1459 (1984)]. Nakamura et al., Supra reported the purification of HGF from the serum of partially hepatectomized rats. Subsequently, HGF was purified from rat platelets, and its subunit structure was determined [Nakamura et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 6489-6493 (1986); and Nakamura et al., FEBS Letters 224, 311-316 (1987)]. The purification of human HGF (huHGF) from human plasma was first described by Gohda et al., J. Clin. Invest. 81, 414-419 (1988).

Both rat HGF and huHGF have been molecularly cloned, including the cloning and sequencing of a naturally occurring variant lacking 5 amino acids designated "delta5 HGF" [Miyazawa et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 163, 967-973 (1989); Nakamura et al., Nature 342, 440-443 (1989); Seki et al, Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Commun. 172, 321-327 (1990); Tashiro et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 3200-3204 (1990); Okajima et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 193, 375-381 (1990)].

The mature form of huHGF, corresponding to the major form purified from human serum, is a disulfide linked heterodimer derived by proteolytic cleavage of the human pro-hormone between amino acids R494 and V495. This cleavage process generates a molecule composed of an α-subunit of 440 amino acids (M_(r) 69 kDa) and a β-subunit of 234 amino acids (M_(r) 34 kDa). The nucleotide sequence of the hHGF cDNA reveals that both the α- and the β-chains are contained in a single open reading frame coding for a pre-pro precursor protein. In the predicted primary structure of mature hHGF, an interchain S-S bridge is formed between Cys 487 of the α-chain and Cys 604 in the g-chain (see Nakamura et al., Nature, supra). The N-terminus of the a-chain is preceded by 54 amino acids, starting with a methionine group. This segment includes a characteristic hydrophobic leader (signal) sequence of 31 residues and the prosequence. The a-chain starts at amino acid (aa) 55, and contains four Kringle domains. The Kringle 1 domain extends from about aa 128 to about aa 206, the Kringle 2 domain is between about aa 211 and about aa 288, the Kringle 3 domain is defined as extending from about aa 303 to about aa 383, and the Kringle 4 domain extends from about aa 391 to about aa 464 of the α-chain. It will be understood that the definition of the various Kringle domains is based on their homology with kringle-like domains of other proteins (prothrombin, plasminogen) , therefore, the above limits are only approximate. As yet, the function of these Kringles has not been determined. The β-chain of huHGF shows high homology to the catalytic domain of serine proteases (38% homology to the plasminogen serine protease domain). However, two of the three residues which form the catalytic triad of serine proteases are not conserved in huHGF. Therefore, despite its serine protease-like domain, hHGF appears to have no proteolytic activity and the precise role of the β-chain remains unknown. HGF contains four putative glycosylation sites, which are located at positions 294 and 402 of the α-chain and at positions 566 and 653 of the β-chain.

In a portion of cDNA isolated from human leukocytes in-frame deletion of 15 base pairs was observed. Transient expression of the cDNA sequence in COS-1 cells revealed that the encoded HGF molecule (delta5 HGF) lacking 5 amino acids in the Kringle 1 domain was fully functional (Seki et al., supra).

A naturally occurring huHGF variant has recently been identified which corresponds to an alternative spliced form of the huHGF transcript containing the coding sequences for the N-terminal finger and first two kringle domains of mature huHGF [Chan et al., Science 254, 1382-1385 (1991); Miyazawa et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 197, 15-22 (1991)]. This variant, designated HGF/NK2, has been proposed to be a competitive antagonist of mature huHGF.

The comparison of the amino acid sequence of rat HGF with that of huHGF revealed that the two sequences are highly conserved and have the same characteristic structural features. The length of the four Kringle domains in rat HGF is exactly the same as in huHGF. Furthermore, the cysteine residues are located in exactly the same positions; an indication of similar three-dimensional structures (Okajima et al., supra; Tashiro et al., supra).

The HGF receptor has been identified as the product of the c-Met proto-oncogene [Bottaro et al., Science 251, 802-804 (1991); Naldini et al., Oncogene 6, 501-504 (1991)], an 190-kDa heterodimeric (a disulfide-linked 50-kDa α-chain and a 145-kDa β-chain) membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase protein [Park et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 6379-6383 (1987)]. The c-Met protein becomes phosphorylated on tyrosine residues of the 145-kDa β-subunit upon HGF binding.

The levels of HGF increase in the plasma of patients with hepatic failure (Gohda et al., supra) and in the plasma [Lindroos et al., Hepatol. 13, 734-750 (1991)] or serum [Asami et al., J. Blochem. 109, 8-13 (1991)] of animals with experimentally induced liver damage. The kinetics of this response is rapid, and precedes the first round of DNA synthesis during liver regeneration suggesting that HGF may play a key role in initiating this process. More recently, HGF has been shown to be a mitogen for a variety of cell types including melanocytes, renal tubular cells, keratinocytes, certain endothelial cells and cells of epithelial origin [Matsumoto et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 176, 45-51 (1991); Igawa et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 174, 831-838 (1991); Han et al., Biochem. 30, 9768-9780 (1991); Rubin et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 415-419 (1991)]. Interestingly, HGF can also act as a "scatter factor", an activity that promotes the dissociation of epithelial and vascular endothelial cells in vitro [Stoker et al., Nature 327, 239-242 (1987); Weidner et al., J. Cell Biol. 111, 2097-2108 (1990); Naldini et al., EMBO J. 10, 2867-2878 (1991)]. Moreover, HGF has recently been described as an epithelial morphogen [Montesano et al., Cell 67, 901-908 (1991)]. Therefore, HGF has been postulated to be important in tumor invasion and in embryonic development. Chronic c-Met/HGF receptor activation has been observed in certain malignancies [Cooper et al., EMBO J. 5, 2623 (1986); Giordano et al., Nature 339, 155 (1989)].

It would be desirable to better understand the structure-activity relationship of HGF in order to identify functionally important domains in the HGF amino acid sequence.

It would be particularly desirable to identify the amino acid residues which are responsible for the interaction of HGF with its receptor.

It would be also desirable to identify the amino acid residues which are responsible for HGF biological activity.

It would further be desirable to provide amino acid sequence variants of HGF that have altered (preferably enhanced) receptor binding affinity as compared to the corresponding mature, wild-type HGF.

It would also be desirable to provide HGF amino acid sequence variants which have retained or enhanced receptor binding affinity as compared to the corresponding wild-type HGF, but are substantially devoid of HGF biological activity. Such molecules could act as competitive antagonists of HGF action.

It would further be desirable to provide HGF amino acid sequence variants that have retained or enhanced receptor binding affinity and substantially retained or increased biological activity as compared to the corresponding wild-type HGF (HGF agonists).

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide HGF variants having retained or improved the receptor binding affinity of the corresponding mature wild-type HGF.

It is another object of the invention to provide HGF variants that have retained substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding mature wild-type HGF and are substantially incapable of HGF receptor activation.

It is a further object to provide HGF variants that have retained substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding mature wild-type HGF and have improved biological properties.

These and further objects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing objects are achieved by the provision of HGF variants having an amino acid alteration at a site within the protease domain of HGF and retaining substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding wild-type HGF.

In a specific embodiment, the variants have substantially retained or improved receptor binding affinity as compared to the corresponding wild-type HGF, and are substantially devoid of HGF biological activity. Such compounds, if present in sufficient concentration, will act as competitive antagonists of HGF action.

In another specific embodiment, the variants combine substantially retained or improved receptor binding affinity with improved biological activity, as compared to the corresponding wild-type HGF. Such variants are valuable as HGF agonists.

In a preferred embodiment, the variants of the present invention comprise an alteration in a region corresponding to the catalytic site of serine proteases. More preferably the alteration is at or adjacent to any of positions 534, 673 and 692 of the wild-type human HGF (huHGF) amino acid sequence.

The alteration preferably is substitution.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least two of the residues at amino acid positions 534, 673 and 692 of the wild-type huHGF sequence are replaced by another amino acid.

In a preferred group of the HGF variants herein, both tyrosine (Y) at position 673 and valine (V) at position 692 of the huHGF sequence are replaced by another amino acid. This alteration potentially yields HGF variants which substantially retain the receptor binding affinity of wild-type huHGF but are substantially devoid of HGF biological activity.

Variants which have retained the ability to bind a native HGF receptor but show significantly reduced HGF biological activity may be further altered to improve the affinity of receptor binding. Such further alterations may be at or around the one-chain to two-chain cleavage site of the HGF molecule, and preferably at one or more of amino acid positions 493,494,495 and 496 of the wild-type huHGF amino acid sequence. The resultant variants are resistant to proteolytic cleavage by enzymes that are capable of in vivo conversion of HGF into its two-chain, biologically active form.

Other variants may have alterations within the kringle domains and/or at the C-terminal end, in addition to the alterations in the protease domain.

In all embodiments, huHGF amino acid sequence variants are preferred.

In other embodiments, the invention relates to DNA sequences encoding the variants described above, replicable expression vectors containing and capable of expressing such DNA sequences in a transformed host cell, transformed host cells, and a process comprising culturing the host cells so as to express the DNAs encoding the HGF variants.

In yet another embodiment, the invention relates to therapeutic compositions comprising HGF variants having HGF antagonist or agonist properties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the α- and β-subunits of huHGF. Shown in the α-chain are the signal sequence (boxed region) which encompasses amino acids 1-31, the predicted finger and four Kringle domains, each with their respective three disulfide bonds. The cleavage site for generation of the heterodimeric α/β form of huHGF immediately follows the P1 cleavage residue R494. This last residue has been specifically substituted with either E, D or A to generate HGF single-chain variants. The β-chain, which follows the cleavage site, contains homology to serine proteases. It is proposed that the α- and β-chains are held together by a unique disulfide-bridge between C487(α) and C604(β) (Nakamura et al., 1989, supra). Three residues within the β-chain have been substituted individually or in combination to reconstitute the authentic residues of a serine-protease. Schematic representations of the mature forms of the C-terminal truncation variants are depicted below: N-207, deleted after the first Kringle; N-303, deleted after the second Kringle; N-384, deleted after the third Kringle and the α-chain. Also shown are the variants where deletions of each of the Kringles (ΔK1, ΔK2, ΔK3 and ΔK4) were introduced. In each case, the deletions specifically remove the entire Kringle from C1 to C6.

FIG. 2 shows the results of Western blot of wild-type rhuHGF and single-chain variants. Conditioned media from mock transfected 293 cells or stable 293 cells expressing either wild-type rhuHGF (WT) or the variants R494E, R494A or R494D were fractionated under reducing conditions on an 8% sodium-dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel and blotted. The blot was reacted with polyclonal anti-HGF antisera which recognizes epitopes primarily in the α-chain. Molecular masses (kilodaltons) of the marker are as indicated. Also indicated are the positions of the α-chain and uncleaved single-chain forms of huHGF. Note that the polyclonal antibody cross-reacts with an unidentified band (*) present even in the control transfected 293 cells, which do not express detectable quantities of huHGF.

FIGS. 3A and 3B: Mitogenic activity (A) and competitive receptor binding (B) of wild-type (WT) rhuHGF and single-chain variants. (A) Biological activity was determined by the ability of WT rhuHGF and variants to induce DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes in primary culture as described in Example 2. Shown are the mean cpm from duplicates in a representative assay. Mock supernatant from control cells did not stimulate DNA synthesis in these cells (no cpm increase above background levels). (B) To perform competitive binding, various dilutions of supernatants of human 293 cells containing wt rhuHGF or variants were incubated with 50 pM of the huHGF receptor-IgG fusion protein as described in Example 2. Data represent inhibition of binding as the percentage of any competing ligand from a representative experiment and were corrected by subtraction of background values from control 293 cells.

FIG. 4: Western blot of ligand-induced tyrosine-phosphorylation on the 145 kDa β-subunit of the HGF receptor by wild-type rhuHGF, single-chain or protease domain huHGF variants. Lysates from A549 cells incubated for 5 minutes without (-) or with 200 ng/mL of purified wt rhuHGF (WT), single-chain (R494E) or double protease variants (Y673S,V692S) were prepared and immunoprecipitated with an anti-HGF receptor antibody and blotted with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Molecular masses (kilodaltons) are as indicated.

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C depict progressive portions of the nucleotide sequence encoding the plasmid pRK5.1 (SEQ. ID. NO: 1).

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E and 6F depict progressive portions of the nucleotide sequence encoding the plasmid p.CIS.EBON (SEQ. ID. NO: 15).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Definitions

As used herein, the terms "hepatocyte growth factor", "HGF" and "huHGF" refer to a (human) growth factor capable of specific binding to a receptor of wild-type (human) HGF, which growth factor typically has a structure with six domains (finger, Kringle 1, Kringle 2, Kringle 3, Kringle 4 and serine protease domains), but nonetheless may have fewer domains or may have some of its domains repeated if it still retains its qualitative HGF receptor binding ability. This definition specifically includes the delta5 huHGF as disclosed by Seki et al., supra. The terms "hepatocyte growth factor" and "HGF" also include hepatocyte growth factor from any non-human animal species, and in particular rat HGF.

The terms "wild-type human hepatocyte growth factor", "native human hepatocyte growth factor", "wild-type huHGF", and "native huHGF" refer to native sequence human HGF, i.e., that encoded by the cDNA sequence published by Miyazawa, et al. 1989, supra, or Nakamura et al., 1989, supra, including its mature, pre, pre-pro, and pro forms, purified from natural source, chemically synthesized or recombinantly produced. The sequences reported by Miyazawa et al. and Nakamura et al. differ in 14 amino acids. The reason for the differences is not entirely clear; polymorphism or cloning artifacts are among the possibilities. Both sequences are specifically encompassed by the foregoing terms as defined for the purpose of the present invention. It will be understood that natural allelic variations exist and can occur among individuals, as demonstrated by one or more amino acid differences in the amino acid sequence of each individual. Amino acid positions in the variant huHGF molecules herein are indicated in accordance with the numbering of Miyazawa et al. 1989, supra.

The terms "(HGF) biological activity", "biologically active", "activity" and "active" refer to any mitogenic, motogenic or morphogenic activities exhibited by wild-type human HGF. The HGF biological activity may, for example, be determined in an in vitro or in vivo assay of hepatocyte growth promotion. Adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture have been extensively used to search for factors that regulate hepatocyte proliferation. Accordingly, the mitogenic effect of an HGF variant can be conveniently determined in an assay suitable for testing the ability of an HGF molecule to induce DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes in primary cultures, such as, for example, described in Example 2. Human hepatocytes are also available from whole liver perfusion on organs deemed unacceptable for transplantation, pare-downs of adult livers used for transplantation in children, fetal livers and liver remnants removed at surgery for other indications. Human hepatocytes can be cultured similarly to the methods established for preparing primary cultures of normal rat hepatocytes. Hepatocyte DNA synthesis can, for example, be assayed by measuring incorporation of [³ H]thymidine into DNA, with appropriate hydroxyurea controls for replicarive synthesis.

The effect of HGF variants on hepatocyte growth can also be tested in vivo in animal models of liver dysfunction and regeneration, such as in rats following partial hepatectomy, or carbon tetrachloride caused hepatic injury, in D-galactosamine induced acute liver failure models, etc. According to a suitable protocol, a liver poison, e.g. α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) is administered to rats in a predetermined concentration capable of causing reproducible significant elevation of liver enzyme and bilirubin levels. The rats are then treated with the HGF variant to be tested, sacrificed and the liver enzyme and bilirubin levels are determined. The livers are additionally observed for hepatic lesions.

The expression "retaining substantially full receptor binding affinity of wild-type (hu)HGF" and grammatical variant thereof as used herein mean that the receptor binding affinity of the HGF variant is not less then about 70%, preferably not less than about 80%, more preferably not less than about 90%, most preferably not less than about 95% of the affinity with which wild-type (hu)HGF binds its native receptor.

The terms "substantially incapable of HGF receptor activation" and "substantially devoid of HGF biological activity" mean that the activity exhibited by an HGF variant is less than about 20%, preferably less than about 15%, more preferably less than about 10%, most preferably less than about 5% of the respective activity of wild-type (human) HGF in an established assay of receptor activation or HGF biological activity, as hereinabove defined.

The terms "amino acid" and "amino acids" refer to all naturally occurring L-α-amino acids. This definition is meant to include norleucine, ornithine, and homocysteine. The amino acids are identified by either the single-letter or three-letter designations:

    ______________________________________                                         Asp            D          aspartic acid                                        Thr            T          threonine                                            Ser            S          serine                                               Glu            E          glutamic acid                                        Pro            P          proline                                              Gly            G          glycine                                              Ala            A          alanine                                              Cys            C          cysteine                                             Val            V          valine                                               Met            M          methionine                                           Ile            I          isoleucine                                           Leu            L          leucine                                              Tyr            Y          tyrosine                                             Phe            F          phenylalanine                                        His            H          histidine                                            Lys            K          lysine                                               Arg            R          arginine                                             Trp            W          tryptophan                                           Gln            Q          glutamine                                            Asn            N          asparagine                                           ______________________________________                                    

These amino acids may be classified according to the chemical composition and properties of their side chains. They are broadly classified into two groups, charged and uncharged. Each of these groups is divided into subgroups to classify the amino acids more accurately:

I. Charged Amino Acids

Acidic Residues: aspartic acid, glutamic acid

Basic Residues: lysine, arginine, histidine

II. Uncharged Amino Acids

Hydrophilic Residues: serine, threonine, asparagine, glutamine

Aliphatic Residues: glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine

Non-polar Residues: cysteine, methionine, proline

Aromatic Residues: phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan

The terms "alteration", "amino acid alteration", "variant" and "amino acid sequence variant" refer to HGF molecules with some differences in their amino acid sequences as compared to wild-type (human) HGF. Ordinarily, the variants will possess at least about 80% homology with those domains of wild-type (human) HGF that are retained in their structure, and preferably, they will be at least about 90% homologous with such domains.

Substitutional HGF variants are those that have at least one amino acid residue in the corresponding wild-type HGF sequence removed and a different amino acid inserted in its place at the same position. The substitutions may be single, where only one amino acid in the molecule has been substituted, or they may be multiple, where two or more amino acids have been substituted in the same molecule.

Substantial changes in the activity of the HGF molecule may be obtained by substituting an amino acid with a side chain that is significantly different in charge and/or structure from that of the native amino acid. This type of substitution would be expected to affect the structure of the polypeptide backbone and/or the charge or hydrophobicity of the molecule in the area of the substitution.

Moderate changes in the activity of the HGF molecule would be expected by substituting an amino acid with a side chain that is similar in charge and/or structure to that of the native molecule. This type of substitution, referred to as a conservative substitution, would not be expected to substantially alter either the structure of the polypeptide backbone or the charge or hydrophobicity of the molecule in the area of the substitution.

Insertional HGF variants are those with one or more amino acids inserted immediately adjacent to an amino acid at a particular position in the wild-type HGF molecule. Immediately adjacent to an amino acid means connected to either the α-carboxy or α-amino functional group of the amino acid. The insertion may be one or more amino acids. Ordinarily, the insertion will consist of one or two conservative amino acids. Amino acids similar in charge and/or structure to the amino acids adjacent to the site of insertion are defined as conservative. Alternatively, this invention includes insertion of an amino acid with a charge and/or structure that is substantially different from the amino acids adjacent to the site of insertion.

Deletional variants are those with one or more amino acids in the wild-type HGF molecule removed. Ordinarily, deletional variants will have one or two amino acids deleted in a particular region of the HGF molecule.

The notations used throughout this application to describe huHGF amino acid sequence variants are described below. The location of a particular amino acid in the polypeptide chain of huHGF is identified by a number. The number refers to the amino acid position in the amino acid sequence of the mature, wild-type human HGF polypeptide as disclosed in Miyazawa et al., 1989, supra. In the present application, similarly positioned residues in huHGF variants are designated by these numbers even though the actual residue number is not so numbered due to deletions or insertions in the molecule. This will occur, for example, with site-directed deletional or insertional variants. The amino acids are identified using the one-letter code. Substituted amino acids are designated by identifying the wild-type amino acid on the left side of the number denoting the position in the polypeptide chain of that amino acid, and identifying the substituted amino acid on the right side of the number.

For example, replacement of the amino acid tyrosine (Y) by serine (S) at amino acid position 673 of the wild-type huHGF molecule yields a huHGF variant designated Y673S huHGF. Similarly, the huHGF variant obtained by substitution of serine (S) for tyrosine (Y) at amino acid position 673 and serine (S) for valine (V) at amino acid position 692 of the wild-type huHGF molecule is designated Y673S,V692S huHGF.

Deletional variants are identified by indicating the amino acid residue and position at either end of the deletion, inclusive, and placing the Greek letter delta, "Δ", to the left of the indicated amino acids. Deletion of a single amino acid is indicated by placing Δ to the left of the single letter code and number indicating the position of the deleted amino acid.

Insertional variants are designated by the use of brackets "[]" around the inserted amino acids, and the location of the insertion is denoted by indicating the position of the amino acid on either side of the insertion.

The alterations in the amino acid sequence of the HGF variants herein are indicated with reference to amino acid positions in the wild-type human HGF amino acid sequence. (Miyazawa et al., supra). Methods for the alignment of homologous amino acid sequences from various species are well known in the art.

The terms "DNA sequence encoding", "DNA encoding" and "nucleic acid encoding" refer to the order or sequence of deoxyribonucleotides along a strand of deoxyribonucleic acid. The order of these deoxyribonucleotides determines the order of amino acids along the polypeptide chain. The DNA sequence thus codes for the amino acid sequence.

The terms "replicable expression vector" and "expression vector" refer to a piece of DNA, usually double-stranded, which may have inserted into it a piece of foreign DNA. Foreign DNA is defined as heterologous DNA, which is DNA not naturally found in the host cell. The vector is used to transport the foreign or heterologous DNA into a suitable host cell. Once in the host cell, the vector can replicate independently of the host chromosomal DNA, and several copies of the vector and its inserted (foreign) DNA may be generated. In addition, the vector contains the necessary elements that permit translating the foreign DNA into a polypeptide. Many molecules of the polypeptide encoded by the foreign DNA can thus be rapidly synthesized.

In the context of the present invention the expressions "cell", "cell line", and "cell culture" are used interchangeably, and all such designations include progeny.

The terms "transformed (host) cell", "transformant" and "transformed" refer to the introduction of DNA into a cell. The cell is termed a "host cell". The introduced DNA is usually in the form of a vector containing an inserted piece of DNA. The introduced DNA sequence may be from the same species as the host cell or a different species from the host cell, or it may be a hybrid DNA sequence, containing some foreign and some homologous DNA. The words transformants and transformed (host) cells include the primary subject cell and cultures derived therefrom, without regard to the number of transfers. It is also understood that all progeny may not be precisely identical in DNA content, due to deliberate or inadvertent mutations. Mutant progeny that have the same function or biological property as screened for in the originally transformed cell are included.

The technique of "polymerase chain reaction" or "PCR", as used herein, generally refers to a procedure wherein minute amounts of a specific piece of nucleic acid, RNA and/or DNA, are amplified as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,195, issued 28 Jul. 1987 and in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel et al. eds., Greene Publishing Associates and Wiley-Interscience 1991, Volume 2, Chapter 15.

The term "monoclonal antibody" as used herein refers to an antibody obtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies, i.e., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identical except for possible naturally occurring mutations that may be present in minor amounts. Thus, the modifier "monoclonal" indicates the character of the antibody as not being a mixture of discrete antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies include hybrid and recombinant antibodies produced by splicing a variable (including hypervariable) domain of an anti-selectin ligand antibody with a constant domain (e.g. "humanized" antibodies), only one of which is directed against a selectin, or a light chain with a heavy chain, or a chain from one species with a chain from another species, or fusions with heterologous proteins, regardless of species of origin or immunoglobulin class or subclass designation, as well as antibody fragments (e.g., Fab, F(ab')₂, and Fv). Cabilly, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567; Mage & Lamoyi, in Monoclonal Antibody Production Techniques and Applications, pp. 79-97 (Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1987). Thus, the modifier "monoclonal" indicates the character of the antibody as being obtained from such a substantially homogeneous population of antibodies, and is not to be construed as requiring production of the antibody by any particular method.

The term "immunoglobulin" generally refers to polypeptides comprising a light or heavy chain usually both disulfide bonded in the native "Y" configuration, although other linkage between them, including tetramers or aggregates thereof, is within the scope hereof.

Immunoglobulins (Ig) and certain variants thereof are known and many have been prepared in recombinant cell culture. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,055; EP 256,654; Faulkner et al., Nature 298: 286 (1982); EP 120,694; EP 125,023; Morrison, J. Immun. 123: 793 (1979); Kohler et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 77: 2197 (1980); Raso et al., Cancer Res. 41: 2073 (1981); Morrison et al., Ann. Rev. Immunol. 2: 239 (1984); Morrison, Science 229: 1202 (1985); Morrison et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 81: 6851 (1984); EP 255,694; EP 266,663; and WO 88/03559. Reassorted immunoglobulin chains also are known. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,878; WO 88/03565; and EP 68,763 and references cited therein. The immunoglobulin moiety in the chimeras of the present invention may be obtained from IgG₁, IgG₂, IgG₃, or IgG.sub. 4 subtypes, IgA, IgE, IgD or IgM, but preferably IgG₁ or IgG₃.

II. Selection of the HGF Variants

The present invention is based upon the study of structure-activity and structure-receptor binding relationship in amino acid sequence variants of HGF.

The HGF variants of the present invention are altered at a site within the protease domain of HGF and retain substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding (preferably human) wild-type HGF.

The protease domain follows the cleavage site between amino acid positions 494 and 495 in the wild-type huHGF sequence, and shows a high degree of homology with the catalytic domain of known serine proteases. The conservation does not apply to the active site of serine proteases. In human plasmin, which is formed from its proenzyme, plasminogen, residues His-42, Asp-85 and Ser-181 form the catalytic site (catalytic triad). This catalytic triad is highly conserved in serine proteases. In the huHGF amino acid sequence asparagine is retained at amino acid position 594, however, position 534 (corresponding to position 42 of plasmin) is occupied by glutamine instead of histidine, and position 673 (corresponding to position 181 of plasmin) by tyrosine instead of serine.

A preferred group of alterations herein involves one or both of amino acid positions 673 and 534. Alternatively, or in addition, the alteration may be at position 692 of the huHGF amino acid sequence. In all instances, the alteration preferably is the substitution of one or more different amino acids for the residues at these positions of the native huHGF amino acid sequence.

Tyrosine at amino acid position 673 is preferably replaced by an amino acid which has no bulky aromatic or heterocyclic moieties. Such amino acids include serine, threonine, asparagine, cysteine, glycine, alanine and valine. In the preferred variants, serine is substituted for tyrosine at this position.

Valine at amino acid position 692 preferably is substituted by a polar amino acid, such as serine, threonine, asparagine or glutamine, preferably serine.

In a preferred group of the HGF amino acid sequence variants herein, both position 673 and position 692 are substituted by one of the foregoing amino acids, preferably serine. Such variants may additionally contain an alteration (preferably substitution) at amino acid position 534. The latter alteration may be the substituion of histidine for glutamine in the wild-type huHGF amino acid sequence.

The single, double or triple mutations as hereinabove described, may be combined with additional alterations in the wild-type HGF amino acid sequence. Such further alterations may, for example, be at or around the one-chain to two chain cleavage site of the HGF molecule, and may result in variants which are substantially in single-chain form.

Absent alterations, the proteolytic cleavage takes place between Arg494 and Va1495 of the wild-type huHGF sequence. The resistance to proteolytic cleavage is preferably achieved by site-directed mutagenesis within a region recognized by an enzyme capable of converting HGF into its two-chain form, and preferably within the Leu-Arg-Val-Val (LRVV) sequence at amino acid residues 493-496 of the wild-type huHGF sequence. The variants herein may, for example, contain single or multiple amino acid substitutions, insertions or deletions at or adjacent to amino acid positions 493, 494, 495 and 496 in the wild-type human HGF amino acid sequence.

A preferred alteration is the replacement of arginine at amino acid position 494 with any other amino acid, preferably glutamic acid, aspartic acid or alanine. In general, the substitution of smaller, apolar or acidic amino acids for arginine at this position is believed to yield single-chain HGF variants.

Alternatively or in addition, the replacement of valine at position 495 by another amino acid is expected to block the one-chain to two-chain cleavage. Bulkier amino acids, such as tyrosine, phenylalanine, etc. are preferred for substitution at this position.

Additional alterations may be at the C-terminal end and/or in the Kringle domains of the HGF molecule. In addition to the deletion mutants disclosed in the examples, HGF variants with alterations within the Kringle 1 domain are of great interest. As we have found that the receptor binding domain is contained within the finger and the Kringle 1 regions of the HGF molecule, amino acid alterations within these domains are expected to significantly alter the receptor binding properties (and the biological activity) of the variants of the present invention. Alterations at residues that are most exposed to the interior in the Kringle structure (mostly charged residues) are particularly likely to cause profound changes in the receptor binding properties and/or biological activity of the HGF variants.

III. Construction of the HGF Variants

Whereas any technique known in the art can be used to perform site-directed mutagenesis, e.g. as disclosed in Sambrook et al. [Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, second edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York (1989)], oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis is the preferred method for preparing the HGF variants of this invention. This method, which is well known in the art [Adelman et al. DNA, 2: 183 (1983), Sambrook et al., Supra], is particularly suitable for making substitution variants, it may also be used to conveniently prepare deletion and insertion variants.

As will be appreciated, the site-specific mutagenesis technique typically employs a phage vector that exists in both a single-stranded and double-stranded form. Typical vectors useful in site-directed mutagenesis include vectors such as the M13 phage, for example, as disclosed by Messing et al., Third Cleveland Symposium on Macromolecules and Recombinant DNA, Editor A. Walton, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1981). These phage are readily commercially available and their use is generally well known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, plasmid vectors that contain a single-stranded phage origin of replication (Veira et al., Meth. Enzymol., 153: 3 (1987)) may be employed to obtain single-stranded DNA.

The oligonucleotides are readily synthesized using techniques well known in the art such as that described by Crea et al. (Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA, 75: 5765 [1978]).

The specific mutagenesis method followed in making the HGF variants of Example 1 was described by Kunkel et al., Methods in Enzymol. 154 367-382 (1987).

Mutants with more than one amino acid substituted may be generated in one of several ways. If the amino acids are located close together in the polypeptide chain, they may be mutated simultaneously using one oligonucleotide that codes for all of the desired amino acid substitutions. If however, the amino acids are located some distance from each other (separated by more than ten amino acids, for example) it is more difficult to generate a single oligonucleotide that encodes all of the desired changes. Instead, one of two alternative methods may be employed. In the first method, a separate oligonucleotide is generated for each amino acid to be substituted. The oligonucleotides are then annealed to the single-stranded template DNA simultaneously, and the second strand of DNA that is synthesized from the template will encode all of the desired amino acid substitutions. The alternative method involves two or more rounds of mutagenesis to produce the desired mutant.

Another method for making mutations in the DNA sequence encoding wild-type HGF or a variant molecule known in the art, involves cleaving the DNA sequence encoding the starting HGF molecule at the appropriate position by digestion with restriction enzymes, recovering the properly cleaved DNA, synthesizing an oligonucleotide encoding the desired amino acid sequence and flanking regions such as polylinkers with blunt ends (or, instead of polylinkers, digesting the synthetic oligonucleotide with the restriction enzymes also used to cleave the HGF encoding DNA, thereby creating cohesive termini), and ligating the synthetic DNA into the remainder of the HGF encoding structural gene.

PCR mutagenesis is also suitable for making the HGF variants of the present invention, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,195 issued 28 Jul. 1987 and in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel et al., eds. Greene Publishing Associates and Wiley-Interscience, Volume 2, Chapter 15, 1991. While the following discussion refers to DNA, it is understood that the technique also find application with RNA. The PCR technique generally refers to the following procedure. When small amounts of template DNA are used as starting material in a PCR, primers that differ slightly in sequence from the corresponding region in a template DNA can be used to generate relatively large quantities of a specific DNA fragment that differs from the template sequence only at the positions where the primers differ from the template. For introduction of a mutation into a plasmid DNA, one of the primers is designed to overlap the position of the mutation and to contain the mutation; the sequence of the other primer must be identical to a stretch of sequence of the opposite strand of the plasmid, but this sequence can be located anywhere along the plasmid DNA. It is preferred, however, that the sequence of the second primer is located within 200 nucleotides from that of the first, such that in the end the entire amplified region of DNA bounded by the primers can be easily sequenced. PCR amplification using a primer pair like the one just described results in a population of DNA fragments that differ at the position of the mutation specified by the primer, and possibly at other positions, as template copying is somewhat error-prone. If the ratio of template to product material is extremely low, the vast majority of product DNA fragments incorporate the desired mutation(s). This product material is used to replace the corresponding region in the plasmid that served as PCR template using standard DNA technology. Mutations at separate positions can be introduced simultaneously by either using a mutant second primer or performing a second PCR with different mutant primers and ligating the two resulting PCR fragments simultaneously to the vector fragment in a three (or more)-part ligation.

The cDNA encoding the HGF variants of the present invention is inserted into a replicable vector for further cloning or expression.

Suitable vectors are prepared using standard recombinant DNA procedures. Isolated plasmids and DNA fragments are cleaved, tailored, and ligated together in a specific order to generate the desired vectors.

After ligation, the vector with the foreign gene now inserted is transformed into a suitable host cell. The transformed cells are selected by growth on an antibiotic, commonly tetracycline (tet) or ampicillin (amp), to which they are rendered resistant due to the presence of tet and/or amp resistance genes on the vector. If the ligation mixture has been transformed into a eukaryotic host cell, transformed cells may be selected by the DHFR/MTX system. The transformed cells are grown in culture and the plasmid DNA (plasmid refers to the vector ligated to the foreign gene of interest) is then isolated. This plasmid DNA is then analyzed by restriction mapping and/or DNA sequencing. DNA sequencing is generally performed by either the method of Messing et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 9: 309 (1981) or by the method of Maxam et al., Methods of Enzymology, 65: 499 (1980).

Prokaryotes are the preferred host cells for the initial cloning steps of this invention. They are particularly useful for rapid production of large amounts of DNA, for production of single-stranded DNA templates used for site-directed mutagenesis, for screening many mutants simultaneously, and for DNA sequencing of the mutants generated. For expressing the HGF variants of the present invention eukaryotic hosts, such as eukaryotic microbes (yeast) and multicellular organisms (mammalian cell cultures) may also be used. Examples of prokaryotes, e.g. E. coli, eukaryotic microorganisms and multicellular cell cultures, and expression vectors, suitable for use in producing the HGF variants of the present invention are, for example, those disclosed in WO 90/02798 (published 22 Mar. 1990).

Cloning and expression methodologies are well known in the art and are, for example, disclosed in the foregoing published PCT patent application (WO 90/02798).

If mammalian cells are used as host cells, transfection generally is carried out by the calcium phosphate precipitation method as described by Graham and Van der Eb, Virology, 52: 546 (1978). However, other methods for introducing DNA into cells such as nuclear injection, electroporation, or protoplast fusion are also suitably used.

If yeast are used as the host, transfection is generally accomplished using polyethylene glycol, as taught by Hinnen, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 75: 1929-1933 (1978).

If prokaryotic cells or cells that contain substantial cell wall constructions are used, the preferred method of transfection is calcium treatment using calcium as described by Cohen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 69: 2110 (1972), or more recently electroporation.

The HGF variant preferably is recovered from the culture medium as a secreted protein, although it also may be recovered from host cell lysates when directly expressed without a secretory signal. When the variant is expressed in a recombinant cell other than one of human origin, the variant is thus completely free of proteins of human origin. However, it is necessary to purify the variant from recombinant cell proteins in order to obtain preparations that are substantially homogeneous as to protein. As a first step, the culture medium or lysate is centrifuged to remove particulate cell debris.

The variant is then purified from contaminant soluble proteins, for example, by an appropriate combination of conventional chromatography methods, e.g. gel filtration, ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, affinity, immunoaffinity chromatography, reverse phase HPLC; precipitation, e.g. ethanol precipitation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, or, preferably, immunoprecipitation with anti-HGF (polyclonal or monoclonal) antibodies covalently linked to Sepharose. Due to its high affinity to heparine, HGF can be conveniently purified on a heparin, such as heparine-Sepharose column. One skilled in the art will appreciate that purification methods suitable for native HGF may require modification to account for changes in the character of HGF or its variants upon expression in recombinant cell culture.

As hereinabove described, huHGF contains four putative glycosylation sites, which are located at positions 294 and 402 of the α-chain and at positions 566 and 653 of the β-chain. These positions are conserved in the rat HGF amino acid sequence. Glycosylation variants are within the scope herein.

Glycosylation of polypeptides is typically either N-linked or O-linked. N-linked refers to the attachment of the carbohydrate moiety to the side-chain of an asparagine residue. The tripepride sequences, asparagine-X-serine and asparagine-X-threonine, wherein X is any amino acid except proline, are recognition sequences for enzymatic attachment of the carbohydrate moiety to the asparagine side chain. O-linked glycosylation refers to the attachment of one of the sugars N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose, or xylose to a hydroxyamino acid, most commonly serine or threonine, although 5-hydroxyproline or 5-hydroxylysine may also be involved in O-linked glycosylation. O-linked glycoslation sites may, for example, be modified by the addition of, or substitution by, one or more serine or threonine residue to the amino acid sequence of the HGF molecule. For ease, changes are usually made at the DNA level, essentially using the techniques discussed hereinabove with respect to the amino acid sequence variants.

Chemical or enzymatic coupling of glycosydes to the HGF variants of the present invention may also be used to modify or increase the number or profile of carbohydrate substituents. These procedures are advantageous in that they do not require production of the polypeptide that is capable of O-linked (or N-linked) glycosylation. Depending on the coupling mode used, the sugar(s) may be attached to (a) arginine and histidine, (b) free carboxyl groups, (c) free hydroxyl groups such as those of cysteine, (d) free sulfhydryl groups such as those of serine, threonine, or hydroxyproline, (e) aromatic residues such as those of phenylalanine, tyrosine, or tryptophan or (f) the amide group of glutamine. These methods are described in WO 87/05330 (published 11 Sep. 1987), and in Aplin and Wriston, CRC Crit. Rev. Biochem., pp. 259-306 (1981).

Carbohydrate moieties present on an HGF variant may also be removed chemically or enzymatically. Chemical deglycosylation requires exposure to trifluoromethanesulfonic acid or an equivalent compound. This treatment results in the cleavage of most or all sugars, except the linking sugar, while leaving the polypeptide intact. Chemical deglycosylation is described by Hakimuddin et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 259, 52 (1987) and by Edge et al., Anal. Biochem. 118, 131 (1981). Carbohydrate moieties can be removed by a variety of endo- and exoglycosidases as described by Thotakura et al., Meth. Enzymol. 138, 350 (1987). Glycosylation is suppressed by tunicamycin as described by Duskin et al., J. Biol. Chem. 257, 3105 (1982). Tunicamycin blocks the formation of protein-N-glycosydase linkages.

Glycosylation variants of the amino acid sequence variants herein can also be produced by selecting appropriate host cells. Yeast, for example, introduce glycosylation which varies significantly from that of mammalian systems. Similarly, mammalian cells having a different species (e.g. hamster, murine, insect, porcine, bovine or ovine) or tissue (e.g. lung, liver, lymphoid, mesenchymal or epidermal) origin than the source of the selectin variant, are routinely screened for the ability to introduce variant glycosylation.

Covalent modifications of an HGF variant molecule are included within the scope herein. Such modifications are traditionally introduced by reacting targeted amino acid residues of the HGF variant with an organic derivatizing agent that is capable of reacting with selected side-chains or terminal residues, or by harnessing mechanisms of post-translational modifications that function in selected recombinant host cells. The resultant covalent derivatives are useful in programs directed at identifying residues important for biological activity, for immunoassays of the HGF variants, or for the preparation of anti-HGF antibodies for immunoaffinity purification of the recombinant glycoprotein. For example, complete inactivation of the biological activity of the protein after reaction with ninhydrin would suggest that at least one arginyl or lysyl residue is critical for its activity, whereafter the individual residues which were modified under the conditions selected are identified by isolation of a peptide fragment containing the modified amino acid residue. Such modifications are within the ordinary skill in the art and are performed without undue experimentation.

Derivatization with bifunctional agents is useful for preparing intramolecular aggregates of the HGF variants as well as for cross-linking the HGF variants to a water insoluble support matrix or surface for use in assays or affinity purification. In addition, a study of interchain cross-links will provide direct information on conformational structure. Commonly used cross-linking agents include 1,1-bis(diazoacetyl)-2-phenylethane, glutaraldehyde, N-hydroxysuccinimide esters, homobifunctional imidoesters, and bifunctional maleimides. Derivatizing agents such as methyl-3-[(p-azidophenyl)dithio]propioimidate yield photoactivatable intermediates which are capable of forming cross-links in the presence of light. Alternatively, reactive water insoluble matrices such as cyanogen bromide activated carbohydrates and the systems reactive substrates described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,959,642; 3,969,287; 3,691,016; 4,195,128; 4,247,642; 4,229,537; 4,055,635; and 4,330,440 are employed for protein immobilization and cross-linking.

Certain post-translational modifications are the result of the action of recombinant host cells on the expressed polypeptide. Glutaminyl and aspariginyl residues are frequently post-translationally deamidated to the corresponding glutamyl and aspartyl residues. Alternatively, these residues are deamidated under mildly acidic conditions. Either form of these residues falls within the scope of this invention.

Other post-translational modifications include hydroxylation of proline and lysine, phosphorylation of hydroxyl groups of seryl or threonyl residues, methylation of the α-amino groups of lysine, arginine, and histidine side chains [T. E. Creighton, Proteins: Structure and Molecular Properties, W. H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, pp. 79-86 (1983)].

Other derivatives comprise the novel HGF variants of this invention covalently bonded to a nonproteinaceous polymer. The nonproteinaceous polymer ordinarily is a hydrophilic synthetic polymer, i.e. a polymer not otherwise found in nature. However, polymers which exist in nature and are produced by recombinant or in vitro methods are useful, as are polymers which are isolated from nature. Hydrophilic polyvinyl polymers fall within the scope of this invention, e.g. polyvinylalcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Particularly useful are polyvinylalkylene ethers such a polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol.

The HGF variants may be linked to various nonproteinaceous polymers, such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol or polyoxyalkylenes, in the manner set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,835; 4,496,689; 4,301,144; 4,670,417; 4,791,192 or 4,179,337.

The HGF variants may be entrapped in microcapsules prepared, for example, by coacervation techniques or by interfacial polymerization, in colloidal drug delivery systems (e.g. liposomes, albumin microspheres, microemulsions, nano-particles and nanocapsules), or in macroemulsions. Such techniques are disclosed in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16th Edition, Osol, A., Ed. (1980) .

An HGF variant sequence can be linked to a immunoglobulin constant domain sequence as hereinbefore defined. The resultant molecules are commonly referred to as HGF variant-immunoglobulin chimeras. Such chimeras can be constructed essentially as described in WO 91/08298 (published 13 Jun. 1991).

Ordinarily, the HGF variant is fused C-terminally to the N-terminus of the constant region of an immunoglobulin in place of the variable region(s), however N-terminal fusions of the selectin variants are also desirable. The transmembrane regions of the HGF variants are preferably inactivated or deleted prior to fusion.

Typically, such fusions retain at least functionally active hinge, CH2 and CH3 domains of the constant region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain. Fusions are also made to the C-terminus of the Fc portion of a constant domain, or immediately N-terminal to the CH1 of the heavy chain or the corresponding region of the light chain. This ordinarily is accomplished by constructing the appropriate DNA sequence and expressing it in recombinant cell culture. Alternatively, however, the HGF variant-immunoglobulin chimeras of this invention may be synthesized according to known methods.

The precise site at which the fusion is made is not critical; particular sites are well known and may be selected in order to optimize the biological activity, secretion or binding characteristics of the HGF variant.

In some embodiments, the hybrid immunoglobulins are assembled as monomers, or hetero- or homo-multimers, and particularly as dimers of tetramers, essentially as illustrated in WO 91/08298, Supra.

In a preferred embodiment, the C-terminus of a sequence which contains the binding site(s) for an HGF receptor, is fused to the N-terminus of the C-terminal portion of an antibody (in particular the Fc domain), containing the effector functions of an immunoglobulin, e.g. immunoglobulin G₁. It is possible to fuse the entire heavy chain constant region to the sequence containing the receptor binding site(s). However, more preferably, a sequence beginning in the hinge region just upstream of the papain cleavage site (which defines IgG Fc chemically; residue 216, taking the first residue of heavy chain constant region to be 114 [Kobet et al., Supra], or analogous sites of other immunoglobulins) is used in the fusion. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the amino acid sequence containing the receptor binding site(s) is fused to the hinge region and C_(H) 2 and C_(H) 3 or C_(H) 1, hinge, C_(H) 2 and C_(H) 3 domains of an IgG₁, IgG₂ or IgG₃ heavy chain. The precise site at which the fusion is made is not critical, and the optimal site can be determined by routine experimentation.

HGF variant-immunoglobulin chimeras may, for example, be used in protein A purification, immunohistochemistry, and immunoprecipitation techniques in place of anti-HGF antibodies, and can facilitate screening of inhibitors of HGF-HGF receptor interactions. Therapeutically, they are expected to confer advantages such as longer half-life as compared to the corresponding HGF variant molecule.

IV. Therapeutic Compositions

The HGF variants with enhanced receptor binding affinity can be used to block the binding of wild-type HGF to its receptor. This would permit the treatment of pathologic conditions associated with the activation of an HGF receptor, such as malignancies associated with chronic HGF receptor activation.

The compounds of the present invention can be formulated according to known methods to prepare pharmaceutically useful compositions, whereby the HGF product is combined in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Suitable carriers and their formulations are described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16th ed., 1980, Mack Publishing Co., edited by Oslo et al., specifically incorporated by reference. These compositions will typically contain an effective amount of the HGF variant, for example, from on the order of about 0.5 to about 10 mg/ml, together with a suitable amount of carrier to prepare pharmaceutically acceptable compositions suitable for effective administration to the patient. The variants may be administered parenterally or by other methods that ensure its delivery to the bloodstream in an effective form.

Compositions particularly well suited for the clinical administration of the HGF variants used to practice this invention include sterile aqueous solutions or sterile hydratable powders such as lyophilized protein. Typically, an appropriate amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt is also used in the formulation to render the formulation isotonic.

Dosages and desired drug concentrations of pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may vary depending on the particular use envisioned. A typical effective dose in rat experiments is about 250 μg/kg administered as an intravenous bolus injection. Interspecies scaling of dosages can be performed in a manner known in the art, e.g. as disclosed in Mordenti et al., Pharmaceut. Res. 8, 1351 (1991) and in the references cited therein.

The following examples merely illustrate the best mode now contemplated for practicing the invention, but should not be construed to limit the invention.

Examples

A series of recombinant huHGF (rhuHGF) variants were produced to determine the structural and functional importance of the cleavage of the prohormone to the α/β dimer and of the Kringle and protease-like domains. Mutations were introduced into the huHGF cDNA in a CMV based expression plasmid and conditioned media from stable populations of human 293 cells expressing each variant were assayed by Western blotting to monitor the size and expression level of the HGF variants.

The concentration of each huHGF derivative was confirmed with two types of sandwich ELISA assays. The differences in expression levels found in ELISA correlated with those observed on Western blots. For most variants, the level of expression was in the range of 1-5 mg/mL. For variants with expression levels below 0.6 mg/mL, the conditioned media was concentrated.

The mitogenic activity on liver cells in primary culture and ability to bind to the HGF receptor was then determined. The extra-cellular domain of the HGF receptor was fused to the constant region (Fc) of an human IgG and binding was performed in solution.

The construction of the rhuHGF variants, the assay methods and the analysis of the results obtained with the various mutants are described in the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1 Recombinant Production of the huHGF Variants A. Site-Directed Mutagenesis

Plasmid DNA isolation, polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis were performed as disclosed in Sambrook et al., supra.

Mammalian expression plasmid pRK 5.1 with a CMV promotor (Genentech, Inc.) was used for mutagenesis of huHGF allowing secretion of the HGF variants in the culture medium and directly assayed for biological activity and binding. This expression vector is a derivative of pRK5, the construction of which is disclosed in EP 307,247 published 15 Mar. 1989. The nucleotide sequence encoding this the pRK 5.1 vector is shown in FIG. 5 (SEQ. ID. NO: 1).

The huHGF cDNA used corresponds to the 728 amino acid form as published earlier (Miyazawa et al., 1989, supra).

Mutagenesis was performed according to the method of Kunkel using the commercially available dut- ung- strain of E. coli [Kunkel et al., Method. Enzymol. 154, 367-382 (1987)]. Synthetic oligonucleotides used for in vitro mutagenesis and sequencing primers were prepared using the Applied Biosystem 380A DNA synthesizer as described [Matteucci et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 3185-3191 (1981)]. For generation of the desired mutants, oligonucleotides of sequences coding for the desired amino acid substitutions were synthesized and used as primers. The oligonucleotides were annealed to single-stranded pRK51-huHSA that had been prepared by standard procedures [Viera et al., Method. Enzymol. 142, 3 (1987)].

A mixture of three deoxyribonucleotides, deoxyriboadenosine (dATP), deoxyriboguanosine (dGTP), and deoxyribothymidine (dTTP), was combined with a modified thio-deoxyribonuleosine called dCTP(aS) provided in the kit by the manufacturer, and added to the single stranded pRK 5.1-huHGF to which was annealed the oligonucleotide.

Upon addition of DNA polymerase to this mixture, a strand of DNA identical to pRK 5.1-huHGF except for the mutated bases was generated. In addition, this new strand of DNA contained dCTP(aS) instead of dCTP, which served to protect from restriction endonuclease digestion. After the template strand of the double-stranded heteroduplex was nicked with an appropriate restriction enzyme, the template strand was digested with ExoIII nuclease past the region that contained the mutagenic oligomer. The reaction was then stopped to leave a molecule hat was only partly single-stranded. A complete double-stranded DNA homoduplex molecule was then formed by DNA polymerase in the presence of all four deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates, ATP, and DNA ligase.

The following oligonucleotides were prepared to use as primers to generate pRK 5.1-huHGF variant molecules: ##STR1##

The Y673S, V692S huHGF variant was obtained from wild-type huHGF as a template, using both oligonucleotides used for generating the two mutations.

The mutant huHGF constructs generated using the protocol above were transformed in E. coli host strain MM294tonA using the standard calcium chloride procedure (Sambrook et al., supra) for preparation and transformation of competent cells. MM294tonA (which is resistant to T1 phage) was prepared by the insertion and subsequent imprecise excision of a Tn10 transposon into the tonA gene. This gene was then inserted, using transposon insertion mutagenesis [Kleckner et al., J. Mol. Biol. 116, 125-159 (1977)], into E. coli host MM294 (ATCC 31,446).

The DNA extract from individual colonies of bacterial transformants using the standard miniprep procedure of Sambrook et al., supra. The plasmids were further purified by passage over a Sephacryl CL6B spin column, and then analyzed by sequencing and by restriction endonuclease digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis.

B. Transfection of Human Embryonic Kidney 293 Cells

Plasmids with the correct sequence were used to transfect human fetal kidney 293 cells by the calcium phosphate method. 293 cells were growth to 70% confluence in 6-well plates. 2.5 μg of huHGF plasmid DNA variant was dissolved in 150 μl of 1 mMTris-HCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, 0,227 M CaCl₂. Added to this (dropwise while vortexing) was 150 μl of 50 mMHEPES buffer (pH 7.35), 280 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM NAPO₄, and the precipitate was allowed to form for ten minutes at 25° C. The suspended precipitate was then added to the cells in the individual wells in a 6-well plate. The cell monolayers were incubated for 4 hours in the presence of the DNA precipitate, washed once with PBS, and cultured in serum-free medium for 72 h. When stable populations were made, the HGF cDNA was subcloned in an episomal CMV driven expression plasmid pCisEBON (G. Cachianes, C, Ho, R. Weber, S. Williams, D. Goeddel, and D. Lueng, in preparation). pCisEBON is a pRK5 derivative; its underlying nucleotide sequence is shown in FIG. 6 (SEQ. ID. NO: 15). The populations were directly selected in Neomycin selective medium.

EXAMPLE 2 Assay Methods

In view of the pleiotropic activities of HGF, a molecule with a structure unlike any other known growth factor, it is important to understand the molecular interaction of this factor with its receptor. The huHGF variants produced as described in Example 1 were analyzed for their ability to induce DNA synthesis of hepatocytes in primary culture and to compete for binding to a soluble form of the huHGF receptor.

A. Protein Quantification of Wild-Type huHGF and huHGF Variants

A specific two-site huHGF sandwich ELISA using two monoclonal antibodies was used to quantify wild-type recombinant huHGF (WT rhuHGF), single chain and protease substitution variants. Microtiter plates (Maxisorb, Nunc) were coated with 10 mg/ml of a monoclonal anti-rhuHGF antibody A 3.1.2 (IgG2a phenotype, affinity: 3.2×10⁻⁸ mol) in 50 mM Carbonate buffer, pH 9.6, overnight at 4° C. After blocking plates with 0.5% BSA (Sigma), 0.01% thimerosal in PBS, pH 7.4, and subsequent washes, duplicate serial dilutions of HGF samples were prepared and in parallel a CHO-expressed rhuHGF (40-0.1 ng/mL) was used as a standard. Fifty microliters of these dilutions were simultaneously incubated with 50 mL of a 1:1500 diluted horseradish peroxidase conjugated monoclonal anti-rhuHGF antibody B 4.3 (IgG1 phenotype, affinity: 1.3×10⁻⁸ mol) for 2 h at RT. The substrate was prepared by adding 0.04% o-phenylenediamine-dihydrochloride (Sigma) and 0,012% (v/v) hydrogen-peroxide (Sigma) to PBS and 100 ml were added to the washed plates for 15 minutes at RT. The reaction was stopped by adding 50 mL of 2.25M sulfuric acid to each well. The absorbance at 490 nm, with the absorbance at 405 nm subtracted as background, was determined on a microtiter plate reader (Vmax, Molecular Devices, Menlo Park, Calif.). The data was reduced using a four-parameter curve-fitting program developed at Genentech, Inc.

An HGF polyclonal sandwich ELISA was used to quantify all kringle deletion and C-terminal truncation variants. Briefly, microtiter plates (Nunc) were coated with 5 mg/mL guinea pig polyclonal (anti CHO-expressed rhuHGF) IgG antibody preparation (Genentech, Inc.) as described above. This antibody recognizes rhuHGF as well as HGF truncated forms when compared to visual inspection of Western blots, making it ideal for monitoring HGF variants. Plates were blocked and duplicate serial dilutions of 293 cell supernatants (1:103-6.106) were added and incubated over night at 4° C. Purified CHO-expressed rhuHGF (100-0.78 ng/mL) was used as a standard and incubated in parallel. Plates were washed and incubated with a 1:500 dilution of the same polyclonal antibody (approx. 400 ng/mL) but in this case horseradish peroxidase conjugated for detection of the variants (see above). Western blotting was performed to determine the size of the expressed HGF variants. For this, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting were performed using standard methods with the polyclonal IgG antibody preparation (500 ng/mL). A chemiluminescent detection method (Amersham) and a goat anti-guinea pig IgG-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (1:5000) were used for development of the blot as described by the manufacturer.

B. Soluble HGF Receptor Binding Assay

Previous studies on HGF binding to hepatocytes have shown that huHGF could bind to its cell surface receptor with high affinity (Kd˜24-32 pM; Higuchi and Nakamura, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 174, 831-838 (1991)). We preferred to examine HGF binding using a soluble form of the receptor because of the nonspecific binding of HGF to cell surface heparin sulfate proteoglycans [Naldini et al., EMBO J. 10, 2867-2878 (1991)].

Cell supernatants (concentrated on Amicon filters if concentration was below 600 ng/mL) were tested for their ability to block in solution the binding of CHO-expressed ¹²⁵ I rhuHGF (2-5×103 Ci/mmole, kindly provided by T. Zioncheck, Genentech, Inc.) to the extracellular domain of the human HGF receptor (huHGFr) fused to the Fc constant region of an human IgG, expressed and secreted from 293 cells.

1. Construction of huHGFr-IgG chimeras

A full length cDNA clone encoding the huHGFr was constructed by joining partial cDNAs isolated from cDNA libraries and from PCR amplification. Coding sequences for amino acids 1-270 were isolated from a human placental cDNA library (provided by T. Mason, Genentech) screened with a 50 mer oligonucleotide (5'-ATGAAGGCCCCCGCTGTGCTTGCACCTGGCATCCTCGTGCTCCTGTTTACC-3') (SEQ. ID. NO: 16). Sequences encoding amino acids 809-1390 were isolated from a human liver library (Stragagen) screened with the oligonucleotide probe (5'-CACTAGTTAGGATGGGGGACATGTCTGTCAGAGGATACTGCACTTGTCGGCATGAACCGT-3'). (SEQ. ID. NO: 17)

Conditions for plating libraries, and for hybridization and washing filters were as described [Godowski et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 8083-8087 (1989)]. PCR was used to isolate a cDNA clone containing residues 271-808 of the HGFr (c-met) from A549 cells. Ten μgs of total RNA was used for reverse transcription using a primer specific to the HGFr (5'-TAGTACTAGCACTATGATGTCT-3') (SEQ. ID. NO: 18) in a 100 μl reaction using Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase and buffers supplied by Bethesda Research Laboratories. One-tenth of this reaction mixture was used for PCR amplification. The PCR reaction was performed in a volume of 100 μl containing 10 μl of the reverse transcriptase reaction, 10 mM KCl, 20 mMTris-HCl (pH 8.8), 10 mM (NH4)SO4, 6 mM MgSO4, 0.1% Trition X-100, 1 U of Vent DNA polymerase (New England Biolabs) and 50 pmol each of the forward primer (5'-TTTACTTCTTGACGGTCCAAAG-3' (SEQ. ID. NO: 19) and the reverse primer (5'-CAGGGGGAGTTGCAGATTCAGCTGT-3') (SEQ. ID. NO: 20). After thirty cycles of denaturation (95° C., 1 min), annealing (55° C., 45 secs) and extension (72° C., 2 min), the PCR product were recovered from low-melting temperature agarose gels. The full-length HGFr cDNA was subcloned into vector pRK7 (see WO 90/02798, published 22 Mar. 1990) and double-stranded DNA sequencing was performed by the dideoxynucleotide method.

The coding sequence of the extracellular domain of the huHGFr was fused to those of the human IgG1 heavy chain in a two-step process. PCR was used to generate a fragment with a unique BstEII site 3' to the coding sequences of the HGFr amino acid 929. The 5' primer (located in the vector upstream of the HGFr coding sequences) and the 3' primer (5'-AGTTTTGTCGGTGACCTGATCATTCTGATCTGGTTGAACTATTAC-3') (SEQ. ID. NO: 21) were used in a 100 μl reaction as described above except that the extension time at 72° C. was 3 minutes, and 40 ng of the full length HGFr expression vector was used as template. Following amplification, the PCR product was joined to the human IgG-γ1 heavy chain cDNA through a unique BstEII site in that construct [Bennett et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266, 23060-23067 (1991)]. The resulting construct contained the coding sequences of amino acids 1-929 of the huHGFr fused via the BstEII site (adding the coding sequences for amino acids V and T) to the coding sequences of amino acids 216-443 of the human IgG-γ1 heavy chain. Sequencing of the construct was carried out as described above.

2. Binding assay

The binding assay was performed in breakable microtiter plates (Nunc) coated o/n at 4° C. with 1 mg/mL of rabbit-anti-human IgG Fc specific antibody (Jackson Immunoresearch) and plates were carefully washed with PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20 (Biorad). After blocking with PBS containing 0.1% BSA, in this same buffer, 50pM of 125I-rhuHGF in 25 mL per well were added. To each well 50 mL of serial dilutions (1:25-1:6000) of cell supernatants, purified CHO-expressed rhuHGF (25,000-0.064 pM) or medium were added in duplicates. Subsequently, 25 mL of 50 pM of HGF receptor:IgG fusion protein were added and the plates were incubated with gentle shaking. After 4 hours, when equilibrium was reached, plates were washed and wells were individually counted in a gamma-counter. The amount of nonspecifically bound radioactivity was estimated by incubating HGF receptor:IgG with a 500-fold excess of unlabelled rhuHGF. The dissociation constant (Kd) of each analogue was calculated at the IC50 from fitted inhibition curves essentially as described (DeBlasi et al., 1989 [?]) using the huHGF concentration determined by ELISA.

C. Biological Assay

The biological activity of WT huHGF and variants was measured by their abilities to induce DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Hepatocytes were isolated according to published perfusion techniques with minor modifications [Garrison and Haynes, J. Biol. Chem., 150, 2269-277 (1975)]. Briefly, the livers of female Sprague Dawley rats (160-180 g) were perfused through the portal vein with 100 mL of Ca⁺⁺ free Hepes buffered saline containing 0.02% Collagenase type IV (Sigma). After 20 minutes the liver was removed, placed in buffer, gently stirred to separate hepatocytes from connective tissue and blood vessels, and filtered through nylon mesh. Cells were then washed by centrifugation, resuspended at 1×10⁵ cells/mL in Williams Media E (Gibco) containing Penicillin (100 U/ml), Streptomycin (100 mg/mL), L-Glutamine (2 mM), trace elements (0.01%), transferrin (10 mg/mL) and Aprotinin (1 mg/mL). Hepatocytes were incubated in 96-well microtiter plates (Falcon) in the presence of duplicate serial dilutions of either purified CHO-expressed rhuHGF (1-0.031 mg/mL), 293 supernatants (1:4-1:256) or medium. After 48 hours incubation at 37° C., 0.5 mCi 3H-TdR (15 Ci/mmole, Amersham) was added to each well and incubated for an additional 16 hours. Cells were harvested on filter papers, which were washed, dried and counted in a Beckman counter after addition of scintillation liquid. For each huHGF variant, the specific activity (SA) expressed in units/mg was calculated at half-maximal proliferation (defined as 1 unit/mL) using the HGF concentration obtained in ELISA.

D. Induction of Tyrosine Phosphorylations on A549 Cells

Human lung carcinoma cells (A549) monolayers were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and maintained at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO₂. Serum-starved cells were incubated without or with 200 ng/mL rhuHGF for 5 minutes at 37° C. and extracted with lysis buffer containing 50mM Hepes, 150 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM EGTA, 10% Glycerol, 1% Triton X-100 and a cocktail of protease inhibitors. The lysates were immunoprecipitated with anti-Met COOH antibodies and blotted with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies (see Western blotting above).

EXAMPLE 3 Analysis of Cleavage Site Mutants

The cleavage site of proteases commonly contains a basic residue at position P1 and two hydrophobic amino acid resides in positions P'1 and P'2, which follow the cleaved peptide bond. The proposed cleavage site of huHGF (P1 R494, P'1 V495, P'2 V496) fits this consensus. We chose to try to block cleavage of huHGF by replacing the P1 R494 with either D, E, or A. The major form of WT rhuHGF expressed in these cells is cleaved into two-chain material as judged by the presence of the α-chain with an apparent molecular mass of 69 kDa (FIG. 2). Each of these mutations appeared to block processing of rhuHGF because under reducing conditions these variants migrated as a single band at 94 kDa, the predicted size of single-chain HGF. These variants totally lacked the ability to induce the proliferation of hepatocytes in primary culture (FIG. 3A). However, when these variants were analyzed for their ability to compete with WT rhuHGF for binding to the HGF receptor:IgG fusion protein, their inhibition curves were roughly similar to that of WT rhuHGF (FIG. 3B). The Kd determined from these curves showed that WT rhuHGF binds to the fusion protein with high affinity (50-70 pM) whereas all single chain variants showed approximately a 2- to 10-fold higher Kd (100-500 pM) compared to WT rhuHGF. Results from at least three independent assays are summarized in Table I as residual hepatocyte proliferative activity and receptor binding capacity compared to WT rhuHGF.

Our binding studies showed that WT rhuHGF bound to the soluble receptor fusion protein with a single class of high affinity binding sites (50-70 pM), similar to those found on hepatocytes by Higushi and Makamura (1991). However, binding of HGF on cells may slightly be different since the soluble receptor is actually a dimer held together by the disulfide bridge of the hinge in the Fc portion of the IgGA.

Direct comparison of specific activity (SA) versus Kd ratios of all single chain variants showed they were inactive at the highest concentration tested (SA>3%) while receptor binding affinities were only decreased by a factor of 2-3.

These results argue strongly that cleavage of HGF into the two-chain form is required for mitogenic activity, i.e. that single-chain HGF is a promitogen and that the uncleaved form of HGF binds to the HGF receptor, albeit with a reduced affinity.

The major form of HGF isolated from placenta [Hernandez et al., (1992) J. Cell Physiol., in press] or expressed in transfected COS cells [Rubin et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 415-419 (1991)] is in single-chain form. When tested in mitogenic assays, this single-chain form of HGF is found to be biologically active. Taken together with our data, this suggests that this single-chain HGF is activated to the two-chain form during the mitogenic assay.

A second observation is that single-chain variants retain substantial capacity to bind to the HGF receptor, as suggested by our competition binding assays. This raises the interesting possibility that single-chain HGF may be bound to cell-surface HGF receptor in vivo in an inactive state and can subsequently be cleaved to the active double-chain form by the appropriate protease.

EXAMPLE 4 The Effects of Protease Domain Mutations

To elucidate the functional importance of the protease domain of HGF, several single, double and triple mutations were made in order to reconstitute a potential serine-protease active site. The construction of these variants is described in Example 1.

We replaced HGF residues Q534 with H, Y673 with S, or V692 with S as either single, double or triple mutations. The analysis of their effects on mitogenic activity and receptor binding showed that the single mutation Q534H did not significantly alter either SA (5.2×104 Units/mg) or Kd (60 pM) when compared to wt rhuHGF (respectively 3.3 104 Units/mg and 70 pM) whereas Y673S and V692S exhibited SA reduced approximately 5- and 10-fold, respectively. In fact, these two variants never reached the maximum plateau seen with WT rhuHGF (approximately 50% of wt rhuHGF plateau). Interestingly, these variants showed a Kd similar to WT rhuHGF. All other double and triple variants also retained the ability to bind the HGF receptor but they clearly showed a reduced SA (Table I). The residual SA of the double variants Q534H,Y673S and Y673S,V692S and of the triple variant Q534H,Y673S,V692S were less than 3% compared to WT rhuHGF. However, the Kd of these variants was not significantly different from WT rhuHGF (Table I). These variants indicate that mutations within the β-chain of HGF block mitogenic activity but they are still able to bind to the HGF receptor. Thus, it appears that these mutants are defective in an activity subsequent to receptor binding.

These results show that although the β-chain is not required for receptor binding, certain residues (e.g. Y673 and V692) are critical for the structure and/or activity of HGF. Substitution of the nonpolar residue V692 with the polar residue S might have caused a structural transition if new hydrogen bonds to the active site residue D594, as found in serine-proteases, have been introduced. Substitution of Y673 with the smaller residue S might also introduce some local structural modifications. On the other hand, replacement of the polar residue Q534 by another polar residue H of similar size would not likely cause a drastic difference in the HGF conformation as this residue should be exposed; indeed the Q534H variant was similar to rhuHGF (Table I).

EXAMPLE 5 The Effect of C-terminal and Kringle Deletions

In order to ascertain whether the α-chain is required for HGF binding or activity, C-terminal truncations were made as described in Example 1, resulting in variants containing either the α-chain alone, or variants truncated after the third (N-384) or second (N-303) Kringles.

A number of C-terminal truncations of HGF were made by deleting either the β-chain or the β-chain in addition to a progressive number of kringles as depicted in FIG. 1. One variant (N-207) corresponding to the N-terminal domain with the first Kringle did not express the protein to levels detectable either by Western blotting or ELISA using a polyclonal antibody preparation and thus was not investigated further. Expression of the variants containing the first two Kringles (N-303), three Kringles (N-384) or the complete α-chain of HGF was as low as 250-600 ng/mL. A summary of the residual SA and Kd compared to WT rhuHGF of these variants is presented in Table I. At the concentration tested no activity above background levels was observed indicating that these variants lost their biological activity. However, binding competition showed that variants N-303, N-384 or the α-chain still retained substantial binding capacity (up to 23% compared to WT rhuHGF binding). Thus, the N-terminal 272 residues of HGF (the mature form of variant N-303) are sufficient for high affinity binding to the HGF receptor.

Results from deleting each kringle domain are shown in Table I. Deletion of the first Kringle (variant ΔK1) of HGF affected biological activity most, showing at least a 100-fold reduction (SA>0.2% of wt rhuHGF). Similarly, binding of this variant was also affected as it failed to compete for binding with wt rhuHGF up to 2 mg/mL. Deletion of all other Kringles (variants ΔK2, ΔK3 or ΔK4) also induces severely reduced mitogenic activity (Table I). However, the Kds of these deletion variants remained close to that observed with wt rhuHGF.

These data show that Kringles K3 and K4 are not required for receptor binding. Our data support the previous observations by Miyazawa et al., 1991 supra and Chan et al., 1991 supra, in the sense that variant N-303, which in amino acid sequence is very similar to HGF/NK2, retains the ability to compete efficiently for binding to the HGF receptor (Kd˜280 pM). Furthermore, the observations that N-303 is sufficient to bind to the receptor and that the second Kringle is not required for binding the HGF receptor (in the context of the remainder of the molecule) suggest that the receptor binding domain is contained within the finger and first Kringle of huHGF. Unfortunately, we have not been able to detect expression of this variant using our polyclonal antisera suggesting that variant N-207 (deletion after the first kringle) was not expressed in 293 cells.

EXAMPLE 6 Induction of Tyrosine-Phosphorylation of the huHGF Receptor

We determined if variants R494E or Y673S,V692S, which bind the HGF receptor in vitro but are defective for mitogenic activity, could stimulate tyrosine-phosphorylation of the HGF receptor in A549 cells. Serum starved cells were treated with purified WT rhuHGF or variants and immunoprecipitates of the HGF receptor were blotted and probed with phosphotyrosine antibodies. Stimulation with wt rhuHGF led to the phosphorylation on tyrosine of the 145 kDa β-subunit of the HGF receptor (FIG. 4). Both variants exhibited a reduced ability to induce phosphorylation of the HGF receptor.

Stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation on the HGF receptor β-subunit by HGF was previously reported [Bottaro et al., Science 251, 802-804 (1991), Naldini et al., 1991 supra]. The present data show that variants R494E and Y673S,V692S can bind the soluble HGF receptor: IgG protein in vitro but are not efficient in stimulating tyrosine-phosphorylation in A549 cells. One interpretation of this result is that these variants are capable of binding the HGF receptor on A549 cells, but are defective in a function required to induce efficient phosphorylation, e.g. receptor dimerization. It has been shown for other receptor proteins with an intrinsic tyrosine kinase such as the epithelial and platelet-derived growth factor that receptor-receptor interactions or dimerization is required for activation of kinase function [see for review Ulrich and Schlessinger, Cell 61 203-212 (1990)]. Alternatively, these variants may not be able to bind the cell-surface associated HGF receptor.

The unique structure of HGF suggests that there may be multiple events that regulate the biological activity of this molecule. An early stage of regulation may be the cleavage step to generate the biologically active two-chain form. Interestingly, cleavage may not simply regulate receptor binding but rather control a subsequent event required for activating the HGF receptor. Our data also suggest that the β-chain, while not absolutely required for receptor binding contributes to a receptor activation step. These variants may be useful in dissecting the signalling events at the HGF receptor.

The entire contents of all citations cited throughout the specification and the references cited therein are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

Although the foregoing refers to particular preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the present invention is not so limited. It will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without diverting from the overall concept of the invention. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                                       SA var/SA wt Kdwt/Kdvar                                          Variants (var)                                                                               +/- S.D.     +/- S.D.                                            ______________________________________                                         Single-chain                                                                   R494A         <0.03        0.32 +/- 0.18                                       R494D         <0.03        0.51 +/- 0.21                                       R494E         <0.02        0.31 +/- 0.13                                       Protease                                                                       Q534H         1.19 +/- 0.44                                                                               1.48 +/- 0.85                                       Y673S          0.27 +/- 0.07*                                                                             1.35 +/- 0.72                                       V692S         0.08 +/- 0.04                                                                               1.02 +/- 0.13                                       Q534H, Y673S  <0.03        2.24 +/- 1.11                                       Y673S, V692S  <0.02        1.76 +/- 0.63                                       Q534H, Y673S, V692S                                                                          <0.02        1.91 +/- 1.28                                       C-terminal truncation                                                          N-303         <0.05        0.23 +/- 0.03                                       N-384         <0.05        0.25 +/- 0.02                                       α-chain <0.04        0.25 +/- 0.03                                       Kringle deletion                                                               ΔK1     <0.002       <0.03                                               ΔK2     <0.05        0.41 +/- 0.18                                       ΔK3     <0.03        0.56 +/- 0.36                                       ΔK4     <0.07        0.86 +/- 0.46                                       ______________________________________                                    

    __________________________________________________________________________     SEQUENCE LISTING                                                               (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                                       (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 21                                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 4732 bases                                                         (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:                                        TTCGAGCTCGCCCGA CATTGATTATTGACTAGTTATTAATAGTAATCAAT50                          TACGGGGTCATTAGTTCATAGCCCATATATGGAGTTCCGCGTTACATAAC100                          TTACGGTAAATGGCCCGCCTGGCTGACCGCCCAACGACCCCCGCCCATTG150                          ACGTCAATAATG ACGTATGTTCCCATAGTAACGCCAATAGGGACTTTCCA200                         TTGACGTCAATGGGTGGAGTATTTACGGTAAACTGCCCACTTGGCAGTAC250                          ATCAAGTGTATCATATGCCAAGTACGCCCCCTATTGACGTCAATGACGGT300                          AAATGGCCC GCCTGGCATTATGCCCAGTACATGACCTTATGGGACTTTCC350                         TACTTGGCAGTACATCTACGTATTAGTCATCGCTATTACCATGGTGATGC400                          GGTTTTGGCAGTACATCAATGGGCGTGGATAGCGGTTTGACTCACGGGGA450                          TTTCC AAGTCTCCACCCCATTGACGTCAATGGGAGTTTGTTTTGGCACCA500                         AAATCAACGGGACTTTCCAAAATGTCGTAACAACTCCGCCCCATTGACGC550                          AAATGGGCGGTAGGCGTGTACGGTGGGAGGTCTATATAAGCAGAGCTCGT600                          T TAGTGAACCGTCAGATCGCCTGGAGACGCCATCCACGCTGTTTTGACCT650                         CCATAGAAGACACCGGGACCGATCCAGCCTCCGCGGCCGGGAACGGTGCA700                          TTGGAACGCGGATTCCCCGTGCCAAGAGTGACGTAAGTACCGCCTATAGA750                           GTCTATAGGCCCACCCCCTTGGCTTCGTTAGAACGCGGCTACAATTAATA800                         CATAACCTTATGTATCATACACATACGATTTAGGTGACACTATAGAATAA850                          CATCCACTTTGCCTTTCTCTCCACAGGTGTCCACTCCCAGGTCCAACTGC900                           ACCTCGGTTCTATCGATTGAATTCCCCGGGGATCCTCTAGAGTCGACCTG950                         CAGAAGCTTGCCTCGAGGCAAGCTTGGCCGCCATGGCCCAACTTGTTTAT1000                         TGCAGCTTATAATGGTTACAAATAAAGCAATAGCATCACAAATTTCACAA1 050                        ATAAAGCATTTTTTTCACTGCATTCTAGTTGTGGTTTGTCCAAACTCATC1100                         AATGTATCTTATCATGTCTGGATCGATCGGGAATTAATTCGGCGCAGCAC1150                         CATGGCCTGAAATAACCTCTGAAAGAGGAACTTGGTTAGGTACCT TCTGA1200                        GGCGGAAAGAACCAGCTGTGGAATGTGTGTCAGTTAGGGTGTGGAAAGTC1250                         CCCAGGCTCCCCAGCAGGCAGAAGTATGCAAAGCATGCATCTCAATTAGT1300                         CAGCAACCAGGTGTGGAAAGTCCCCAGGCTCCCCAGCAG GCAGAAGTATG1350                        CAAAGCATGCATCTCAATTAGTCAGCAACCATAGTCCCGCCCCTAACTCC1400                         GCCCATCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGCCCAGTTCCGCCCATTCTCCGCCCCATG1450                         GCTGACTAATTTTTTTTATTTATGCAGAGGCC GAGGCCGCCTCGGCCTCT1500                        GAGCTATTCCAGAAGTAGTGAGGAGGCTTTTTTGGAGGCCTAGGCTTTTG1550                         CAAAAAGCTGTTAACAGCTTGGCACTGGCCGTCGTTTTACAACGTCGTGA1600                         CTGGGAAAACCCTGGCGTTACCCAAC TTAATCGCCTTGCAGCACATCCCC1650                        CCTTCGCCAGCTGGCGTAATAGCGAAGAGGCCCGCACCGATCGCCCTTCC1700                         CAACAGTTGCGTAGCCTGAATGGCGAATGGCGCCTGATGCGGTATTTTCT1750                         CCTTACGCATCTGTGCGGTA TTTCACACCGCATACGTCAAAGCAACCATA1800                        GTACGCGCCCTGTAGCGGCGCATTAAGCGCGGCGGGTGTGGTGGTTACGC1850                         GCAGCGTGACCGCTACACTTGCCAGCGCCCTAGCGCCCGCTCCTTTCGCT1900                         TTCTTCCCTTCCT TTCTCGCCACGTTCGCCGGCTTTCCCCGTCAAGCTCT1950                        AAATCGGGGGCTCCCTTTAGGGTTCCGATTTAGTGCTTTACGGCACCTCG2000                         ACCCCAAAAAACTTGATTTGGGTGATGGTTCACGTAGTGGGCCATCGCCC2050                         TGATAGA CGGTTTTTCGCCCTTTGACGTTGGAGTCCACGTTCTTTAATAG2100                        TGGACTCTTGTTCCAAACTGGAACAACACTCAACCCTATCTCGGGCTATT2150                         CTTTTGATTTATAAGGGATTTTGCCGATTTCGGCCTATTGGTTAAAAAAT2200                          GAGCTGATTTAACAAAAATTTAACGCGAATTTTAACAAAATATTAACGTT2250                        TACAATTTTATGGTGCACTCTCAGTACAATCTGCTCTGATGCCGCATAGT2300                         TAAGCCAACTCCGCTATCGCTACGTGACTGGGTCATGGCTGCGCCCCGAC2350                          ACCCGCCAACACCCGCTGACGCGCCCTGACGGGCTTGTCTGCTCCCGGCA2400                        TCCGCTTACAGACAAGCTGTGACCGTCTCCGGGAGCTGCATGTGTCAGAG2450                         GTTTTCACCGTCATCACCGAAACGCGCGAGGCAGTATTCTTGAAGACGAA 2500                        AGGGCCTCGTGATACGCCTATTTTTATAGGTTAATGTCATGATAATAATG2550                         GTTTCTTAGACGTCAGGTGGCACTTTTCGGGGAAATGTGCGCGGAACCCC2600                         TATTTGTTTATTTTTCTAAATACATTCAAATATGTATCCGCTCA TGAGAC2650                        AATAACCCTGATAAATGCTTCAATAATATTGAAAAAGGAAGAGTATGAGT2700                         ATTCAACATTTCCGTGTCGCCCTTATTCCCTTTTTTGCGGCATTTTGCCT2750                         TCCTGTTTTTGCTCACCCAGAAACGCTGGTGAAAGTAA AAGATGCTGAAG2800                        ATCAGTTGGGTGCACGAGTGGGTTACATCGAACTGGATCTCAACAGCGGT2850                         AAGATCCTTGAGAGTTTTCGCCCCGAAGAACGTTTTCCAATGATGAGCAC2900                         TTTTAAAGTTCTGCTATGTGGCGCGGTATTA TCCCGTGATGACGCCGGGC2950                        AAGAGCAACTCGGTCGCCGCATACACTATTCTCAGAATGACTTGGTTGAG3000                         TACTCACCAGTCACAGAAAAGCATCTTACGGATGGCATGACAGTAAGAGA3050                         ATTATGCAGTGCTGCCATAACCATG AGTGATAACACTGCGGCCAACTTAC3100                        TTCTGACAACGATCGGAGGACCGAAGGAGCTAACCGCTTTTTTGCACAAC3150                         ATGGGGGATCATGTAACTCGCCTTGATCGTTGGGAACCGGAGCTGAATGA3200                         AGCCATACCAAACGACGAG CGTGACACCACGATGCCAGCAGCAATGGCAA3250                        CAACGTTGCGCAAACTATTAACTGGCGAACTACTTACTCTAGCTTCCCGG3300                         CAACAATTAATAGACTGGATGGAGGCGGATAAAGTTGCAGGACCACTTCT3350                         GCGCTCGGCCCT TCCGGCTGGCTGGTTTATTGCTGATAAATCTGGAGCCG3400                        GTGAGCGTGGGTCTCGCGGTATCATTGCAGCACTGGGGCCAGATGGTAAG3450                         CCCTCCCGTATCGTAGTTATCTACACGACGGGGAGTCAGGCAACTATGGA3500                         TGAACG AAATAGACAGATCGCTGAGATAGGTGCCTCACTGATTAAGCATT3550                        GGTAACTGTCAGACCAAGTTTACTCATATATACTTTAGATTGATTTAAAA3600                         CTTCATTTTTAATTTAAAAGGATCTAGGTGAAGATCCTTTTTGATAATCT3650                          CATGACCAAAATCCCTTAACGTGAGTTTTCGTTCCACTGAGCGTCAGACC3700                        CCGTAGAAAAGATCAAAGGATCTTCTTGAGATCCTTTTTTTCTGCGCGTA3750                         ATCTGCTGCTTGCAAACAAAAAAACCACCGCTACCAGCGGTGGTTTGTTT3800                          GCCGGATCAAGAGCTACCAACTCTTTTTCCGAAGGTAACTGGCTTCAGCA3850                        GAGCGCAGATACCAAATACTGTCCTTCTAGTGTAGCCGTAGTTAGGCCAC3900                         CACTTCAAGAACTCTGTAGCACCGCCTACATACCTCGCTCTGCTAATCCT 3950                        GTTACCAGTGGCTGCTGCCAGTGGCGATAAGTCGTGTCTTACCGGGTTGG4000                         ACTCAAGACGATAGTTACCGGATAAGGCGCAGCGGTCGGGCTGAACGGGG4050                         GGTTCGTGCACACAGCCCAGCTTGGAGCGAACGACCTACACCG AACTGAG4100                        ATACCTACAGCGTGAGCATTGAGAAAGCGCCACGCTTCCCGAAGGGAGAA4150                         AGGCGGACAGGTATCCGGTAAGCGGCAGGGTCGGAACAGGAGAGCGCACG4200                         AGGGAGCTTCCAGGGGGAAACGCCTGGTATCTTTATA GTCCTGTCGGGTT4250                        TCGCCACCTCTGACTTGAGCGTCGATTTTTGTGATGCTCGTCAGGGGGGC4300                         GGAGCCTATGGAAAAACGCCAGCAACGCGGCCTTTTTACGGTTCCTGGCC4350                         TTTTGCTGGCCTTTTGCTCACATGTTCTTT CCTGCGTTATCCCCTGATTC4400                        TGTGGATAACCGTATTACCGCCTTTGAGTGAGCTGATACCGCTCGCCGCA4450                         GCCGAACGACCGAGCGCAGCGAGTCAGTGAGCGAGGAAGCGGAAGAGCGC4500                         CCAATACGCAAACCGCCTCTCCCC GCGCGTTGGCCGATTCATTAATCCAG4550                        CTGGCACGACAGGTTTCCCGACTGGAAAGCGGGCAGTGAGCGCAACGCAA4600                         TTAATGTGAGTTACCTCACTCATTAGGCACCCCAGGCTTTACACTTTATG4650                         CTTCCGGCTCGTATGTTG TGTGGAATTGTGAGCGGATAACAATTTCACAC4700                        AGGAAACAGCTATGACCATGATTACGAATTAA4732                                           (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 47 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:                                        TTGGAATCCCATTTACAACCTCGAGTTGTTTCGTTTTGGCACAAGAT47                              (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 30 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:                                        GAATCCCATTTAC GACGTCCAATTGTTTCG30                                              (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 26 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:                                        CCCATTTACAACTGCCAATTGTTTCG26                                                   (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                   (A) LENGTH: 22 bases                                                          (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:                                        AGAAGGGAAACAGTGTCGTGCA22                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 22 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                        (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:                                        AGTGGGCCACCAGAATCCCCCT22                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 23 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:7:                                        TCCACGACCA GGAGAAATGACAC23                                                     (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 30 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:                                        GCATTCAACTTCTGAGTTTCTAATGTAGTC30                                               (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                   (A) LENGTH: 30 bases                                                          (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:                                        CATAGTATTGTCAGCTTCAACTTCTGAACA30                                               (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 30 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                          (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:10:                                       TCCATGTGACATATCTTCAGTTGTTTCCAA30                                               (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 30 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:11:                                        TGTGGTATCACCTTCATCTTGTCCATGTGA30                                              (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 24 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:12:                                       ACCTTGGATGCATTAAGTTGTTTC24                                                     (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 23 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:13:                                       TTGTCCATGTGATTAATCACAGT23                                                      (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 35 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:14:                                       GTTCGTGTTGGGATCCCATTTACCTATCGCAATTG35                                          (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:15:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 10596 bases                                                        (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                            (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:15:                                      TTCGAGCTCGCCCGACATTGATTATTGACTAGTTATTAATAGTAATCAAT50                           TACGGGGTCATTAGTTCATAGCCCATATATGGAGTTCCGCGTTACATAAC100                          TTACGGTAAATGGCCCGCCTGGCTGACCGCCCAACGAC CCCCGCCCATTG150                         ACGTCAATAATGACGTATGTTCCCATAGTAACGCCAATAGGGACTTTCCA200                          TTGACGTCAATGGGTGGAGTATTTACGGTAAACTGCCCACTTGGCAGTAC250                          ATCAAGTGTATCATATGCCAAGTACGCCCCCTAT TGACGTCAATGACGGT300                         AAATGGCCCGCCTGGCATTATGCCCAGTACATGACCTTATGGGACTTTCC350                          TACTTGGCAGTACATCTACGTATTAGTCATCGCTATTACCATGGTGATGC400                          GGTTTTGGCAGTACATCAATGGGCGTGGAT AGCGGTTTGACTCACGGGGA450                         TTTCCAAGTCTCCACCCCATTGACGTCAATGGGAGTTTGTTTTGGCACCA500                          AAATCAACGGGACTTTCCAAAATGTCGTAACAACTCCGCCCCATTGACGC550                          AAATGGGCGGTAGGCGTGTACGGTGGG AGGTCTATATAAGCAGAGCTCGT600                         TTAGTGAACCGTCAGATCGCCTGGAGACGCCATCCACGCTGTTTTGACCT650                          CCATAGAAGACACCGGGACCGATCCAGCCTCCGCGGCCGGGAACGGTGCA700                          TTGGAACGCGGATTCCCCGTGCC AAGAGTGACGTAAGTACCGCCTATAGA750                         GTCTATAGGCCCACCCCCTTGGCTTCGTTAGAACGCGGCTACAATTAATA800                          CATAACCTTATGTATCATACACATACGATTTAGGTGACACTATAGAATAA850                          CATCCACTTTGCCTTTCTCT CCACAGGTGTCCACTCCCAGGTCCAACTGC900                         ACCTCGGTTCTATCGATTCTCGAGAATTAATTCAAGCTTGCGGCCGCAGC950                          TTGGCCGCCATGGCCCAACTTGTTTATTGCAGCTTATAATGGTTACAAAT1000                         AAAGCAATAGCATCA CAAATTTCACAAATAAAGCATTTTTTTCACTGCAT1050                        TCTAGTTGTGGTTTGTCCAAACTCATCAATGTATCTTATCATGTCTGGAT1100                         CGATCGGGAATTAATTCGGCGCAGCACCATGGCCTGAAATAACCTCTGAA1150                         AGAGGAACT TGGTTAGGTACCTTCTGAGGCGGAAAGAACCAGCTGTGGAA1200                        TGTGTGTCAGTTAGGGTGTGGAAAGTCCCCAGGCTCCCCAGCAGGCAGAA1250                         GTATGCAAAGCATGCATCTCAATTAGTCAGCAACCAGGTGTGGAAAGTCC1300                         CC AGGCTCCCCAGCAGGCAGAAGTATGCAAAGCATGCATCTCAATTAGTC1350                        AGCAACCATAGTCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGCCCATCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGC1400                         CCAGTTCCGCCCATTCTCCGCCCCATGGCTGACTAATTTTTTTTATTTAT1450                          GCAGAGGCCGAGGCCGCCTCGGCCTCTGAGCTATTCCAGAAGTAGTGAGG1500                        AGGCTTTTTTGGAGGCCTAGGCTTTTGCAAAAAGCTGTTCACGTGATGAA1550                         TTCTCATGTTTGACAGCTTATCATCGATAGATCCTCACAGGCCGCACCCA16 00                        GCTTTTCTTCCGTTGCCCCAGTAGCATCTCTGTCTGGTGACCTTGAAGAG1650                         GAAGAGGAGGGGTCCCGAGAATCCCCATCCCTACCGTCCAGCAAAAAGGG1700                         GGACGAGGAATTTGAGGCCTGGCTTGAGGCTCAGGACGCAAATCTT GAGG1750                        ATGTTCAGCGGGAGTTTTCCGGGCTGCGAGTAATTGGTGATGAGGACGAG1800                         GATGGTTCGGAGGATGGGGAATTTTCAGACCTGGATCTGTCTGACAGCGA1850                         CCATGAAGGGGATGAGGGTGGGGGGGCTGTTGGAGGGGGC AGGAGTCTGC1900                        ACTCCCTGTATTCACTGAGCGTCGTCTAATAAAGATGTCTATTGATCTCT1950                         TTTAGTGTGAATCATGTCTGACGAGGGGCCAGGTACAGGACCTGGAAATG2000                         GCCTAGGAGAGAAGGGAGACACATCTGGACCAG AAGGCTCCGGCGGCAGT2050                        GGACCTCAAAGAAGAGGGGGTGATAACCATGGACGAGGACGGGGAAGAGG2100                         ACGAGGACGAGGAGGCGGAAGACCAGGAGCCCCGGGCGGCTCAGGATCAG2150                         GGCCAAGACATAGAGATGGTGTCCGGA GACCCCAAAAACGTCCAAGTTGC2200                        ATTGGCTGCAAAGGGACCCACGGTGGAACAGGAGCAGGAGCAGGAGCGGG2250                         AGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAG2300                         GAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGA GGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGG2350                        GCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGG2400                         AGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGG2450                         CAGGAGGGGCAGGA GGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGA2500                        GGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGC2550                         AGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGG2600                         CAGGAGCA GGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGG2650                        GCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGG2700                         AGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAG2750                         C AGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGA2800                        GCAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGG2850                         AGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAG2900                          CAGGAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGGGCAGGAGCAGGAGGTGGAGGCCGG2950                        GGTCGAGGAGGCAGTGGAGGCCGGGGTCGAGGAGGTAGTGGAGGCCGGGG3000                         TCGAGGAGGTAGTGGAGGCCGCCGGGGTAGAGGACGTGAAAGAGCCAGGG3 050                        GGGGAAGTCGTGAAAGAGCCAGGGGGAGAGGTCGTGGACGTGGAGAAAAG3100                         AGGCCCAGGAGTCCCAGTAGTCAGTCATCATCATCCGGGTCTCCACCGCG3150                         CAGGCCCCCTCCAGGTAGAAGGCCATTTTTCCACCCTGTAGGGGA AGCCG3200                        ATTATTTTGAATACCACCAAGAAGGTGGCCCAGATGGTGAGCCTGACGTG3250                         CCCCCGGGAGCGATAGAGCAGGGCCCCGCAGATGACCCAGGAGAAGGCCC3300                         AAGCACTGGACCCCGGGGTCAGGGTGATGGAGGCAGGCG CAAAAAAGGAG3350                        GGTGGTTTGGAAAGCATCGTGGTCAAGGAGGTTCCAACCCGAAATTTGAG3400                         AACATTGCAGAAGGTTTAAGAGCTCTCCTGGCTAGGAGTCACGTAGAAAG3450                         GACTACCGACGAAGGAACTTGGGTCGCCGGTG TGTTCGTATATGGAGGTA3500                        GTAAGACCTCCCTTTACAACCTAAGGCGAGGAACTGCCCTTGCTATTCCA3550                         CAATGTCGTCTTACACCATTGAGTCGTCTCCCCTTTGGAATGGCCCCTGG3600                         ACCCGGCCCACAACCTGGCCCGCTAA GGGAGTCCATTGTCTGTTATTTCA3650                        TGGTCTTTTTACAAACTCATATATTTGCTGAGGTTTTGAAGGATGCGATT3700                         AAGGACCTTGTTATGACAAAGCCCGCTCCTACCTGCAATATCAGGGTGAC3750                         TGTGTGCAGCTTTGACGATG GAGTAGATTTGCCTCCCTGGTTTCCACCTA3800                        TGGTGGAAGGGGCTGCCGCGGAGGGTGATGACGGAGATGACGGAGATGAA3850                         GGAGGTGATGGAGATGAGGGTGAGGAAGGGCAGGAGTGATGTAACTTGTT3900                         AGGAGACGCCCTC AATCGTATTAAAAGCCGTGTATTCCCCCGCACTAAAG3950                        AATAAATCCCCAGTAGACATCATGCGTGCTGTTGGTGTATTTCTGGCCAT4000                         CTGTCTTGTCACCATTTTCGTCCTCCCAACATGGGGCAATTGGGCATACC4050                         CATGTTG TCACGTCACTCAGCTCCGCGCTCAACACCTTCTCGCGTTGGAA4100                        AACATTAGCGACATTTACCTGGTGAGCAATCAGACATGCGACGGCTTTAG4150                         CCTGGCCTCCTTAAATTCACCTAAGAATGGGAGCAACCAGCATGCAGGAA4200                          AAGGACAAGCAGCGAAAATTCACGCCCCCTTGGGAGGTGGCGGCATATGC4250                        AAAGGATAGCACTCCCACTCTACTACTGGGTATCATATGCTGACTGTATA4300                         TGCATGAGGATAGCATATGCTACCCGGATACAGATTAGGATAGCATATAC4350                          TACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGCATATGCTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGA4400                        TAGCCTATGCTACCCAGATATAAATTAGGATAGCATATACTACCCAGATA4450                         TAGATTAGGATAGCATATGCTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGCCTATGC 4500                        TACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGCATATGCTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGA4550                         TAGCATATGCTATCCAGATATTTGGGTAGTATATGCTACCCAGATATAAA4600                         TTAGGATAGCATATACTACCCTAATCTCTATTAGGATAGCATAT GCTACC4650                        CGGATACAGATTAGGATAGCATATACTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGC4700                         ATATGCTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGCCTATGCTACCCAGATATAAA4750                         TTAGGATAGCATATACTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATA GCATATGCTACC4800                        CAGATATAGATTAGGATAGCCTATGCTACCCAGATATAGATTAGGATAGC4850                         ATATGCTATCCAGATATTTGGGTAGTATATGCTACCCATGGCAACATTAG4900                         CCCACCGTGCTCTCAGCGACCTCGTGAATAT GAGGACCAACAACCCTGTG4950                        CTTGGCGCTCAGGCGCAAGTGTGTGTAATTTGTCCTCCAGATCGCAGCAA5000                         TCGCGCCCCTATCTTGGCCCGCCCACCTACTTATGCAGGTATTCCCCGGG5050                         GTGCCATTAGTGGTTTTGTGGGCAA GTGGTTTGACCGCAGTGGTTAGCGG5100                        GGTTACAATCAGCCAAGTTATTACACCCTTATTTTACAGTCCAAAACCGC5150                         AGGGCGGCGTGTGGGGGCTGACGCGTGCCCCCACTCCACAATTTCAAAAA5200                         AAAGAGTGGCCACTTGTCT TTGTTTATGGGCCCCATTGGCGTGGAGCCCC5250                        GTTTAATTTTCGGGGGTGTTAGAGACAACCAGTGGAGTCCGCTGCTGTCG5300                         GCGTCCACTCTCTTTCCCCTTGTTACAAATAGAGTGTAACAACATGGTTC5350                         ACCTGTCTTGGT CCCTGCCTGGGACACATCTTAATAACCCCAGTATCATA5400                        TTGCACTAGGATTATGTGTTGCCCATAGCCATAAATTCGTGTGAGATGGA5450                         CATCCAGTCTTTACGGCTTGTCCCCACCCCATGGATTTCTATTGTTAAAG5500                         ATATTC AGAATGTTTCATTCCTACACTAGTATTTATTGCCCAAGGGGTTT5550                        GTGAGGGTTATATTGGTGTCATAGCACAATGCCACCACTGAACCCCCCGT5600                         CCAAATTTTATTCTGGGGGCGTCACCTGAAACCTTGTTTTCGAGCACCTC5650                          ACATACACCTTACTGTTCACAACTCAGCAGTTATTCTATTAGCTAAACGA5700                        AGGAGAATGAAGAAGCAGGCGAAGATTCAGGAGAGTTCACTGCCCGCTCC5750                         TTGATCTTCAGCCACTGCCCTTGTGACTAAAATGGTTCACTACCCTCGTG5800                          GAATCCTGACCCCATGTAAATAAAACCGTGACAGCTCATGGGGTGGGAGA5850                        TATCGCTGTTCCTTAGGACCCTTTTACTAACCCTAATTCGATAGCATATG5900                         CTTCCCGTTGGGTAACATATGCTATTGAATTAGGGTTAGTCTGGATAGTA 5950                        TATACTACTACCCGGGAAGCATATGCTACCCGTTTAGGGTTAACAAGGGG6000                         GCCTTATAAACACTATTGCTAATGCCCTCTTGAGGGTCCGCTTATCGGTA6050                         GCTACACAGGCCCCTCTGATTGACGTTGGTGTAGCCTCCCGTA GTCTTCC6100                        TGGGCCCCTGGGAGGTACATGTCCCCCAGCATTGGTGTAAGAGCTTCAGC6150                         CAAGAGTTACACATAAAGGCAATGTTGTGTTGCAGTCCACAGACTGCAAA6200                         GTCTGCTCCAGGATGAAAGCCACTCAGTGTTGGCAAA TGTGCACATCCAT6250                        TTATAAGGATGTCAACTACAGTCAGAGAACCCCTTTGTGTTTGGTCCCCC6300                         CCCGTGTCACATGTGGAACAGGGCCCAGTTGGCAAGTTGTACCAACCAAC6350                         TGAAGGGATTACATGCACTGCCCGTGACCA ATACAAAACAAAAGCGCTCC6400                        TCGTACCAGCGAAGAAGGGGCAGAGATGCCGTAGTCAGGTTTAGTTCGTC6450                         CGGCGGCGGGGGATCCGCCAGAAATCCGCGCGGTGGTTTTTGGGGGTCGG6500                         GGGTGTTTGGCAGCCACAGACGCC CGGTGTTCGTGTCGCGCCAGTACATG6550                        CGGTCCATGCCCAGGCCATCCAAAAACCATGGGTCTGTCTGCTCAGTCCA6600                         GTCGTGGACCTGACCCCACGCAACGCCCAAAAGAATAACCCCCACGAACC6650                         ATAAACCATTCCCCATGG GGGACCCCGTCCCTAACCCACGGGGCCCGTGG6700                        CTATGGCGGGCTTGCCGCCCCGACGTTGGCTGCGAGCCCTGGGCCTTCAC6750                         CCGAACTTGGGGGTTGGGGTGGGGAAAAGGAAGAAACGCGGGCGTATTGG6800                         CCCCAATGGGG TCTCGGTGGGGTATCGACAGAGTGCCAGCCCTGGGACCG6850                        AACCCCGCGTTTATGAACAAACGACCCAACACCCGTGCGTTTTATTCTGT6900                         CTTTTTATTGCCGTCATAGCGCGGGTTCCTTCCGGTATTGTCTCCTTCCG6950                         TGTTT CAGTTAGCCTCCCCCATCTCCCGGGGTGGGCGAAGAACTCCAGCA7000                        TGAGATCCCCGCGCTGGAGGATCATCCAGCCGGCGTCCCGGAAAACGATT7050                         CCGAAGCCCAACCTTTCATAGAAGGCGGCGGTGGAATCGAAATCTCGTGA7100                          TGGCAGGTTGGGCGTCGCTTGGTCGGTCATTTCGAACCCCAGAGTCCCGC7150                        TCAGAAGAACTCGTCAAGAAGGCGATAGAAGGCGATGCGCTGCGAATCGG7200                         GAGCGGCGATACCGTAAAGCACGAGGAAGCGGTCAGCCCATTCGCCGCCA7250                         AGCTCTTCAGCAATATCACGGGTAGCCAACGCTATGTCCTGATAGCGGTC7300                         CGCCACACCCAGCCGGCCACAGTCGATGAATCCAGAAAAGCGGCCATTTT7350                         CCACCATGATATTCGGCAAGCAGGCATCGCCATGGGTCACGACGAGATC C7400                        TCGCCGTCGGGCATGCGCGCCTTGAGCCTGGCGAACAGTTCGGCTGGCGC7450                         GAGCCCCTGATGCTCTTCGTCCAGATCATCCTGATCGACAAGACCGGCTT7500                         CCATCCGAGTACGTGCTCGCTCGATGCGATGTTTCGCTTGGT GGTCGAAT7550                        GGGCAGGTAGCCGGATCAAGCGTATGCAGCCGCCGCATTGCATCAGCCAT7600                         GATGGATACTTTCTCGGCAGGAGCAAGGTGAGATGACAGGAGATCCTGCC7650                         CCGGCACTTCGCCCAATAGCAGCCAGTCCCTTCCCG CTTCAGTGACAACG7700                        TCGAGCACAGCTGCGCAAGGAACGCCCGTCGTGGCCAGCCACGATAGCCG7750                         CGCTGCCTCGTCCTGCAGTTCATTCAGGGCACCGGACAGGTCGGTCTTGA7800                         CAAAAAGAACCGGGCGCCCCTGCGCTGACA GCCGGAACACGGCGGCATCA7850                        GAGCAGCCGATTGTCTGTTGTGCCCAGTCATAGCCGAATAGCCTCTCCAC7900                         CCAAGCGGCCGGAGAACCTGCGTGCAATCCATCTTGTTCAATCATGCGAA7950                         ACGATCCTCATCCTGTCTCTTGA TCAGATCTGCGGCACGCTGTTGACGCT8000                        GTTAAGCGGGTCGCTGCAGGGTCGCTCGGTGTTCGAGGCCACACGCGTCA8050                         CCTTAATATGCGAAGTGGACCTGGGACCGCGCCGCCCCGACTGCATCTGC8100                         GTGTTCGAATTCATCAA AGCAACCATAGTACGCGCCCTGTAGCGGCGCAT8150                        TAAGCGCGGCGGGTGTGGTGGTTACGCGCAGCGTGACCGCTACACTTGCC8200                         AGCGCCCTAGCGCCCGCTCCTTTCGCTTTCTTCCCTTCCTTTCTCGCCAC8250                         GTTCGCCGGC TTTCCCCGTCAAGCTCTAAATCGGGGGCTCCCTTTAGGGT8300                        TCCGATTTAGTGCTTTACGGCACCTCGACCCCAAAAAACTTGATTTGGGT8350                         GATGGTTCACGTAGTGGGCCATCGCCCTGATAGACGGTTTTTCGCCCTTT8400                         GACG TTGGAGTCCACGTTCTTTAATAGTGGACTCTTGTTCCAAACTGGAA8450                        CAACACTCAACCCTATCTCGGGCTATTCTTTTGATTTATAAGGGATTTTG8500                         CCGATTTCGGCCTATTGGTTAAAAAATGAGCTGATTTAACAAAAATTTAA8550                          CGCGAATTTTAACAAAATATTAACGTTTACAATTTTATGGTGCAGGCCTC8600                        GTGATACGCCTATTTTTATAGGTTAATGTCATGATAATAATGGTTTCTTA8650                         GACGTCAGGTGGCACTTTTCGGGGAAATGTGCGCGGAACCCCTATTTGTT8700                         TATTTTTCTAAATACATTCAAATATGTATCCGCTCATGAGACAATAACCC8750                         TGATAAATGCTTCAATAATATTGAAAAAGGAAGAGTATGAGTATTCAACA8800                         TTTCCGTGTCGCCCTTATTCCCTTTTTTGCGGCATTTTGCCTTCCTGT TT8850                        TTGCTCACCCAGAAACGCTGGTGAAAGTAAAAGATGCTGAAGATCAGTTG8900                         GGTGCACGAGTGGGTTACATCGAACTGGATCTCAACAGCGGTAAGATCCT8950                         TGAGAGTTTTCGCCCCGAAGAACGTTTTCCAATGATGAGCA CTTTTAAAG9000                        TTCTGCTATGTGGCGCGGTATTATCCCGTGATGACGCCGGGCAAGAGCAA9050                         CTCGGTCGCCGCATACACTATTCTCAGAATGACTTGGTTGAGTACTCACC9100                         AGTCACAGAAAAGCATCTTACGGATGGCATGACAG TAAGAGAATTATGCA9150                        GTGCTGCCATAACCATGAGTGATAACACTGCGGCCAACTTACTTCTGACA9200                         ACGATCGGAGGACCGAAGGAGCTAACCGCTTTTTTGCACAACATGGGGGA9250                         TCATGTAACTCGCCTTGATCGTTGGGAAC CGGAGCTGAATGAAGCCATAC9300                        CAAACGACGAGCGTGACACCACGATGCCAGCAGCAATGGCAACAACGTTG9350                         CGCAAACTATTAACTGGCGAACTACTTACTCTAGCTTCCCGGCAACAATT9400                         AATAGACTGGATGGAGGCGGAT AAAGTTGCAGGACCACTTCTGCGCTCGG9450                        CCCTTCCGGCTGGCTGGTTTATTGCTGATAAATCTGGAGCCGGTGAGCGT9500                         GGGTCTCGCGGTATCATTGCAGCACTGGGGCCAGATGGTAAGCCCTCCCG9550                         TATCGTAGTTATCTAC ACGACGGGGAGTCAGGCAACTATGGATGAACGAA9600                        ATAGACAGATCGCTGAGATAGGTGCCTCACTGATTAAGCATTGGTAACTG9650                         TCAGACCAAGTTTACTCATATATACTTTAGATTGATTTAAAACTTCATTT9700                         TTAATTTAAA AGGATCTAGGTGAAGATCCTTTTTGATAATCTCATGACCA9750                        AAATCCCTTAACGTGAGTTTTCGTTCCACTGAGCGTCAGACCCCGTAGAA9800                         AAGATCAAAGGATCTTCTTGAGATCCTTTTTTTCTGCGCGTAATCTGCTG9850                         CTT GCAAACAAAAAAACCACCGCTACCAGCGGTGGTTTGTTTGCCGGATC9900                        AAGAGCTACCAACTCTTTTTCCGAAGGTAACTGGCTTCAGCAGAGCGCAG9950                         ATACCAAATACTGTCCTTCTAGTGTAGCCGTAGTTAGGCCACCACTTCAA10000                         GAACTCTGTAGCACCGCCTACATACCTCGCTCTGCTAATCCTGTTACCAG10050                       TGGCTGCTGCCAGTGGCGATAAGTCGTGTCTTACCGGGTTGGACTCAAGA10100                        CGATAGTTACCGGATAAGGCGCAGCGGTCGGGCTGAACGGGGGGTTCGTG 10150                       CACACAGCCCAGCTTGGAGCGAACGACCTACACCGAACTGAGATACCTAC10200                        AGCGTGAGCATTGAGAAAGCGCCACGCTTCCCGAAGGGAGAAAGGCGGAC10250                        AGGTATCCGGTAAGCGGCAGGGTCGGAACAGGAGAGCGCAC GAGGGAGCT10300                       TCCAGGGGGAAACGCCTGGTATCTTTATAGTCCTGTCGGGTTTCGCCACC10350                        TCTGACTTGAGCGTCGATTTTTGTGATGCTCGTCAGGGGGGCGGAGCCTA10400                        TGGAAAAACGCCAGCTGGCACGACAGGTTTCC CGACTGGAAAGCGGGCAG10450                       TGAGCGCAACGCAATTAATGTGAGTTACCTCACTCATTAGGCACCCCAGG10500                        CTTTACACTTTATGCTTCCGGCTCGTATGTTGTGTGGAATTGTGAGCGGA10550                        TAACAATTTCACACAGGAAACAG CTATGACCATGATTACGAATTAA10596                           (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:16:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 51 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:16:                                       ATGAAGGCCCCCGCTGTGCTTGCACCTGGCATCCTCGTGCTCCT GTTTAC50                          C51                                                                            (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:17:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 56 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:17:                                       CACTAGTTAGGATGGGGGACATGTCTGTCAGAGGATACTGCACTTGTCGG5 0                          CATGAA56                                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:18:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 22 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:18:                                       TAGTACTAGCACTATGATGTCT22                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:19:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                   (A) LENGTH: 22 bases                                                          (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:19:                                       TTTACTTCTTGACGGTCCAAAG22                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:20:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 25 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                        (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:20:                                       CAGGGGGAGTTGCAGATTCAGCTGT25                                                    (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:21:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 45 bases                                                           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:21:                                       AGTTTTGTCGG TGACCTGATCATTCTGATCTGGTTGAACTATTAC45                           

We claim:
 1. An isolated nucleotide molecule encoding a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) variant having an amino acid alteration at a site within the protease domain of HGF, said variant retaining substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding wild-type HGF and being substantially devoid of HGF biological activity.
 2. A replicable expression vector containing and capable of expressing in a suitable host cell the nucleotide molecule of claim
 1. 3. A host cell transformed with the vector of claim
 2. 4. A process comprising culturing the host cells of claim 3 so as to express the nucleic acid encoding the HGF variant.
 5. The process of claim 4 further comprising recovering the variant from the host cell culture.
 6. An isolated nucleotide molecule encoding a human HGF (huHGF) variant having an amino acid alteration at or adjacent to position 692 of wild-type huHGF, said variant retaining substantially full receptor binding affinity of the corresponding wild-type HGF and being substantially devoid of HGF biological activity.
 7. The expression vector containing and capable of expressing in a suitable host cell the nucleotide molecule of claim
 6. 8. The nucleotide molecule of claim 6 encoding a huHGF variant having another amino acid substituted for valine at position 692 of the wild-type huHGF amino acid sequence.
 9. The nucleotide molecule of claim 8 wherein in the encoded huHGF variant the amino acid substituted for valine at position 692 is polar.
 10. The nucleotide molecule of claim 8 wherein said amino acid is selected from serine, threonine, asparagine and glutamine.
 11. The nucleotide molecule of claim 10 wherein said amino acid is serine.
 12. A replicable expression vector containing and capable of expressing in a suitable host cell the nucleotide molecule of claim
 8. 13. A host cell transformed with the vector of claim
 12. 14. A process comprising culturing the host cell of claim 13 so as to express the nucleotide molecule of claim
 8. 15. The process of claim 14 further comprising recovering the variant from the host cell culture.
 16. The nucleotide molecule of claim 6 wherein said huHGF variant further comprises a substitution at amino acid positions 534 or 673 of wild-type huHGF.
 17. The nucleotide molecule of claim 16 encoding a huHGF variant selected from the group consisting of Y673S,V692S huHGF and Q534H,Y673S,V692S huHGF.
 18. A replicable expression vector containing and capable of expressing in a suitable host cell the nucleotide molecule of claim
 17. 19. A host cell transformed with the vector of claim
 18. 20. A process comprising culturing the host cell of claim 19 so as to express the nucleotide molecule of claim
 17. 21. The process of claim 20 further comprising recovering the variant from the host cell culture. 